Are angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE1/ACE2) gene variants associated with the clinical severity of COVID-19 pneumonia? A single-center cohort study

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Abstract

Objective

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been unceasingly ongoing worldwide. Recent bioinformatics analysis and epidemiologic studies have highlighted that the functional polymorphisms on the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene may have an impact on the clinical progress of COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to determine the impact of the ACE1 gene I/D polymorphism and ACE2 peptidase-2 domain variants on disease severity.

Methods

Hundred patients with confirmed COVID-19 related pneumonia [50 patients with severe disease in intensive care unit (ICU) and 50 patients not in ICU] were compared on the basis of genetic and clinical characteristics. Genomic DNA was purified from peripheral blood lymphocytes with an automated QIA symphony DSP DNA Mini-Kit. The Sanger sequencing analysis was performed. The frequencies of ACE1 gene polymorphism and ACE2 PD variants were compared in patients hospitalized in ICU and those not in ICU. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.0 was used for statistical analysis.

Results

The sequencing analysis of the ACE2 gene exon 1 and 2 revealed none of the polymorphisms investigated or any other variants in the present cohort. The frequencies of the ACE1 ID, DD, and II genotypes were 51%, 31%, and 18%, respectively. The frequency of the D allele was similar between the ICU and non-ICU groups (50.4% versus 49.6%). Older age and the presence of advanced stage radiologic abnormalities on admission were detected as independent predictors of ICU requirement.

Conclusion

No effect of any ACE1 gene polymorphism on predicting ICU requirement was detected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the impact of ACE gene polymorphisms on clinical severity of COVID-19 in a Turkish cohort.

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Most cited references 20

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A novel angiotensin-converting enzyme-related carboxypeptidase (ACE2) converts angiotensin I to angiotensin 1-9.

Mary Donoghue, Frank Hsieh, Elizabeth Baronas … (2000)

ACE2, the first known human homologue of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), was identified from 5' sequencing of a human heart failure ventricle cDNA library. ACE2 has an apparent signal peptide, a single metalloprotease active site, and a transmembrane domain. The metalloprotease catalytic domains of ACE2 and ACE are 42% identical, and comparison of the genomic structures indicates that the two genes arose through duplication. In contrast to the more ubiquitous ACE, ACE2 transcripts are found only in heart, kidney, and testis of 23 human tissues examined. Immunohistochemistry shows ACE2 protein predominantly in the endothelium of coronary and intrarenal vessels and in renal tubular epithelium. Active ACE2 enzyme is secreted from transfected cells by cleavage N-terminal to the transmembrane domain. Recombinant ACE2 hydrolyzes the carboxy terminal leucine from angiotensin I to generate angiotensin 1-9, which is converted to smaller angiotensin peptides by ACE in vitro and by cardiomyocytes in culture. ACE2 can also cleave des-Arg bradykinin and neurotensin but not bradykinin or 15 other vasoactive and hormonal peptides tested. ACE2 is not inhibited by lisinopril or captopril. The organ- and cell-specific expression of ACE2 and its unique cleavage of key vasoactive peptides suggest an essential role for ACE2 in the local renin-angiotensin system of the heart and kidney. The full text of this article is available at http://www. circresaha.org.

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Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System Inhibitors and Risk of Covid-19

Harmony Reynolds, Samrachana Adhikari, Claudia Pulgarin … (2020)

Abstract Background There is concern about the potential of an increased risk related to medications that act on the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system in patients exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), because the viral receptor is angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Methods We assessed the relation between previous treatment with ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, or thiazide diuretics and the likelihood of a positive or negative result on Covid-19 testing as well as the likelihood of severe illness (defined as intensive care, mechanical ventilation, or death) among patients who tested positive. Using Bayesian methods, we compared outcomes in patients who had been treated with these medications and in untreated patients, overall and in those with hypertension, after propensity-score matching for receipt of each medication class. A difference of at least 10 percentage points was prespecified as a substantial difference. Results Among 12,594 patients who were tested for Covid-19, a total of 5894 (46.8%) were positive; 1002 of these patients (17.0%) had severe illness. A history of hypertension was present in 4357 patients (34.6%), among whom 2573 (59.1%) had a positive test; 634 of these patients (24.6%) had severe illness. There was no association between any single medication class and an increased likelihood of a positive test. None of the medications examined was associated with a substantial increase in the risk of severe illness among patients who tested positive. Conclusions We found no substantial increase in the likelihood of a positive test for Covid-19 or in the risk of severe Covid-19 among patients who tested positive in association with five common classes of antihypertensive medications.

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A human homolog of angiotensin-converting enzyme. Cloning and functional expression as a captopril-insensitive carboxypeptidase.

S R Tipnis, N M Hooper, R. Hyde … (2000)

A novel human zinc metalloprotease that has considerable homology to human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (40% identity and 61% similarity) has been identified. This metalloprotease (angiotensin-converting enzyme homolog (ACEH)) contains a single HEXXH zinc-binding domain and conserves other critical residues typical of the ACE family. The predicted protein sequence consists of 805 amino acids, including a potential 17-amino acid N-terminal signal peptide sequence and a putative C-terminal membrane anchor. Expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells of a soluble, truncated form of ACEH, lacking the transmembrane and cytosolic domains, produces a glycoprotein of 120 kDa, which is able to cleave angiotensin I and angiotensin II but not bradykinin or Hip-His-Leu. In the hydrolysis of the angiotensins, ACEH functions exclusively as a carboxypeptidase. ACEH activity is inhibited by EDTA but not by classical ACE inhibitors such as captopril, lisinopril, or enalaprilat. Identification of the genomic sequence of ACEH has shown that the ACEH gene contains 18 exons, of which several have considerable size similarity with the first 17 exons of human ACE. The gene maps to chromosomal location Xp22. Northern blotting analysis has shown that the ACEH mRNA transcript is approximately 3. 4 kilobase pairs and is most highly expressed in testis, kidney, and heart. This is the first report of a mammalian homolog of ACE and has implications for our understanding of cardiovascular and renal function.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Anatol J Cardiol

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Anatol J Cardiol

Title: Anatolian Journal of Cardiology

Publisher: Turkish Society of Cardiology

ISSN (Print): 2149-2263

ISSN (Electronic): 2149-2271

Publication date Collection: 2022

Publication date (Electronic): 08 December 2021

Volume: 26

Issue: 2

Pages: 133-140

Affiliations

[* ]Department of Cardiology, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara City Hospital; Ankara-Turkey

[** ]Department of Medical Genetics, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara City Hospital; Ankara-Turkey

[1 ]Department of Medical Genetics, Ankara City Hospital; Ankara-Turkey

[2 ]Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Health Science University Turkey, Ankara City Hospital; Ankara-Turkey

[3 ]Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Health Science University Turkey, Ankara Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Hospital; Ankara-Turkey

[4 ]Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Critical Care Medicine, Ankara City Hospital; Ankara-Turkey

[5 ]Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara City Hospital; Ankara-Turkey

[6 ]Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Ankara Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Hospital; Ankara-Turkey

[7 ]Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Critical Care Medicine, Health Science University Turkey, Ankara City Hospital; Ankara-Turkey