Role of renin-angiotensin system/angiotensin converting enzyme-2 mechanism and enhanced COVID-19 susceptibility in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a disease that caused a global pandemic and is caused by infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus.It has affected over 768 million people worldwide,resulting in approx-imately 6900000 deaths.High-risk groups,identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,include individuals with conditions like type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),obesity,chronic lung disease,serious heart conditions,and chronic kidney disease.Research indicates that those with T2DM face a hei-ghtened susceptibility to COVID-19 and increased mortality compared to non-diabetic individuals.Examining the renin-angiotensin system(RAS),a vital regulator of blood pressure and pulmonary stability,reveals the significance of the angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)and ACE2 enzymes.ACE converts angiotensin-I to the vasoconstrictor angiotensin-II,while ACE2 counters this by converting angiotensin-II to angiotensin 1-7,a vasodilator.Reduced ACE2 exp-ression,common in diabetes,intensifies RAS activity,contributing to conditions like inflammation and fibrosis.Although ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers can be therapeutically beneficial by increasing ACE2 levels,concerns arise regarding the potential elevation of ACE2 receptors on cell membranes,potentially facilitating COVID-19 entry.This review explored the role of the RAS/ACE2 mechanism in amplifying severe acute respiratory syndrome cor-onavirus 2 infection and associated complications in T2DM.Potential treatment strategies,including recombinant human ACE2 therapy,broad-spectrum antiviral drugs,and epigenetic signature detection,are discussed as promising avenues in the battle against this pandemic.

Prevention of hepatitis B reactivation in patients with hematologic malignancies treated with novel systemic therapies:Who and Why?

The risk of reactivation in patients with chronic or past/resolved hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection receiving chemotherapy or immunosuppressive drugs is a wellknown possibility.The indication of antiviral prophylaxis with nucleo(t)side analogue is given according to the risk of HBV reactivation of the prescribed therapy.Though the advent of new drugs is occurring in all the field of medicine,in the setting of hematologic malignancies the last few years have been characterized by several drug classes and innovative cellular treatment.As novel therapies,there are few data about the rate of HBV reactivation and the decision of starting or not an antiviral prophylaxis could be challenging.Moreover,patients are often treated with a combination of different drugs,so evaluating the actual role of these new therapies in increasing the risk of HBV reactivation is difficult.First results are now available,but further studies are still needed.Patients with chronic HBV infection[hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)positive]are reasonably all treated.Past/resolved HBV patients(HBsAg negative)are the actual area of uncertainty where it could be difficult choosing between prophylaxis and pre-emptive strategy.

Application of Enzyme Inhibition Therapy in the Management/Treatment of Neurological Conditions, Diseases, and Disorders

Enzyme inhibition therapy uses specific molecules to inhibit enzyme activity, targeting disease-related enzymes in medical treatments like cancer treatment and infectious disease management. Different types of inhibitors, competitive and non-competitive, bind to different sites and alter enzyme function. The success of this therapy depends on the inhibitor’s specificity and delivery to the target site. Further research could lead to more effective treatments. Nowadays, the majority of medications are enzyme inhibitors and are in the clinical or pre-clinical stages of drug development. Enzyme inhibitors are often prescribed medications for a variety of illnesses, including neurological problems. There is only symptomatic therapy available for many neurological conditions, particularly neuro-degenerative disorders, as opposed to therapy based on knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of these diseases. Enzyme inhibitors are useful as they block the function of certain enzymes whose aberrant activity could be contributing to the illness. They also alleviate the symptoms and stop the disease’s progression. This review discusses the mechanism of action of several enzyme inhibitors that have been prescribed as medications for neurological illnesses as well as some that are still in research stages.

Impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers on the mortality in sepsis: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND The effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors(ACEIs)or angiotensin receptor blockers(ARBs)on the mortality of patients with sepsis is not well characterized.AIM To elucidate the association between prior ACEI or ARB exposure and mortality in sepsis.METHODS The PubMed,EMBASE,Web of Science,and Cochrane Library databases were searched for all studies of premorbid ACEI or ARB use and sepsis mortality until November 302019.Two reviewers independently assessed,selected,and ab-stracted data from studies reporting ACEIs or ARBs,sepsis,and mortality.The primary extracted data consisted of premorbid ACEI or ARB exposure,mortality,and general patient data.Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias and quality of evidence.RESULTS A total of six studies comprising 281238 patients with sepsis,including 49799 cases with premorbid ACEI or ARB exposure were eligible for analysis.Pre-morbid ACEIs or ARBs exposure decreased the 30-d mortality in patients with sepsis.Moreover,the use of ACEIs or ARBs was associated with approximately a 6%decreased risk of 30-d mortality.CONCLUSION The results of this systematic review suggest that ACEI or ARB exposure prior to sepsis may be associated with reduced mortality.Further high-quality cohort studies and molecular mechanism experiments are required to confirm our results.

Challenges and exploration for immunotherapies targeting cold colorectal cancer

In recent years,immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)have made significant breakthroughs in the treatment of various tumors,greatly improving clinical efficacy.As the fifth most common antitumor treatment strategy for patients with solid tumors after surgery,chemotherapy,radiotherapy and targeted therapy,the therapeutic response to ICIs largely depends on the number and spatial distribution of effector T cells that can effectively identify and kill tumor cells,features that are also important when distinguishing malignant tumors from“cold tumors”or“hot tumors”.At present,only a small proportion of colorectal cancer(CRC)patients with deficient mismatch repair(dMMR)or who are microsatellite instability-high(MSI-H)can benefit from ICI treatments because these patients have the characteristics of a“hot tumor”,with a high tumor mutational burden(TMB)and massive immune cell infiltration,making the tumor more easily recognized by the immune system.In contrast,a majority of CRC patients with proficient MMR(pMMR)or who are microsatellite stable(MSS)have a low TMB,lack immune cell infiltration,and have almost no response to immune monotherapy;thus,these tumors are“cold”.The greatest challenge today is how to improve the immunotherapy response of“cold tumor”patients.With the development of clinical research,immunotherapies combined with other treatment strategies(such as targeted therapy,chemotherapy,and radiotherapy)have now become potentially effective clinical strategies and research hotspots.Therefore,the question of how to promote the transformation of“cold tumors”to“hot tumors”and break through the bottleneck of immunotherapy for cold tumors in CRC patients urgently requires consideration.Only by developing an in-depth understanding of the immunotherapy mechanisms of cold CRCs can we screen out the immunotherapy-dominant groups and explore the most suitable treatment options for individuals to improve therapeutic efficacy.

Effect of nitrification inhibitor DMPP on nitrogen leaching, nitrifying organisms, and enzyme activities in a rice-oilseed rape cropping system

DMPP （3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate） has been used to reduce nitrogen （N） loss from leaching or denitrification and to improve N supply in agricultural land. However, its impact on soil nitrifying organisms and enzyme activities involved in N cycling is largely unknown. Therefore, an on-farm experiment, for two years, has been conducted, to elucidate the effects of DMPP on mineral N （NH4^＋- N and NO3^--N） leaching, nitrifying organisms, and denitrifying enzymes in a rice-oilseed rape cropping system. Three treatments including urea alone （UA）, urea ＋ 1% DMPP （DP）, and no fertilizer （CK）, have been carded out. The results showed that DP enhanced the mean NH4^＋-N concentrations by 19.1%-24.3%, but reduced the mean NO3^--N concentrations by 44.9%-56.6% in the leachate, under a two-year rice-rape rotation, compared to the UA treatment. The population of ammonia oxidizing bacteria, the activity of nitrate reductase, and nitrite reductase in the DP treatment decreased about 24.5%-30.9%, 14.9%-43.5%, and 14.7%-31.6%, respectively, as compared to the UA treatment. However, nitrite oxidizing bacteria and hydroxylamine reductase remained almost unaffected by DMPP. It is proposed that DMPP has the potential to either reduce NO3^--N leaching by inhibiting ammonia oxidization or N losses from denitrification, which is in favor of the N conversations in the rice-oilseed rape cropping system.

Recent advances in screening of enzymes inhibitors based on capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis with many advantages plays an important role in pharmaceutical analysis and drug screening. This review gives an overview on the recent advances in the developments and applications of capillary electrophoresis in the field of enzyme inhibitor screening. The period covers 2013 to 2017. Both the pre-capillary enzyme assays and in-capillary enzyme assays which include electrophoretically mediated microanalysis（EMMA） and immobilized enzyme microreactor（IMER） are summarized in this article.

Effect of angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor blocker and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor on the intraocular growth factors and their receptors in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

AIM： To investigate the effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker （ARB） and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor （ACEI） on intraocular growth factors and their receptors in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. METHODS： Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups： control, diabetes mellitus （DM）, candesartan- treated DM, and enalapril-treated DM （each group, n---10）. After the induction of DM by streptozotocin, candesartan [ARB, 5 mg/（kg · d）] and enalapril [ACEI, 10 mg/（kg · d）] were administered to rats orally for 4Wko Vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and angiotensin II （Ang II） concentrations in the vitreous were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and VEGF receptor 2 and angiotensin II type 1 receptor （ATIR） levels were assessed at week 4 by Western blotting. RESULTS： Vitreous Ang II levels were significantly higher in the DM group and candesartan-treated DM group than in the control （P=0.04 and 0.005, respectively）. Vitreous ATIR increased significantly in DM compared to the other three groups （P〈0.007）. Candesartan-treated DM rats showed higher vitreal ATIR concentration than the enalapril-treated DM group and control （P〈0.001 and P=0.005, respectively）. No difference in vitreous Ang II and ATIR concentration was found between the enalapril- treated DM group and control. VEGF and its receptor were below the minimum detection limit in all 4 groups. CONCLUSION： Increased Ang II and ATIR in the hyperglycemic state indicate activated the intraocular renin-angiotensin system, which is inhibited more effectively by systemic ACEI than systemic ARB.

Immobilized enzyme reactors in HPLC and its application in inhibitor screening:A review

This paper sets out to summarize the literatures based on immobilized enzyme bio-chromatography and its application in inhibitors screening in the last decade.In order to screen enzyme inhibitors from a mass of compounds in preliminary screening,multi-pore materials with good biocompatibility are used for the supports of immobilizing enzymes,and then the immobilized enzyme reactor applied as the immobilized enzyme stationary phase in HPLC.Therefore,a technology platform of high throughput screening is gradually established to screen the enzyme inhibitors as new anti-tumor drugs.Here,we briefly summarize the selective methods of supports,immobilization techniques,co-immobilized enzymes system and the screening model.

Role of angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms in angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor-mediated antiproteinuric action in type 2 diabetic nephropathy patients

AIM To investigate the role of genetic variants of angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) and angiotensinogen(AGT) genes in the antiproteinuric efficacy of ACE inhibitor therapy in diabetic nephropathy(DN) patients.METHODS In the present study, 270 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with nephropathy were enrolled and treated with ACE inhibitor(ramipril) and followed at 6 mo for renal function and albumin excretion by estimating serum creatinine, end stage renal disease, and albumin/creatinine ratio(ACR) in urine. Genotyping of ACE I/D and AGT M235 T polymorphisms were performed by using primer specific polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and PCR-RFLP techniques, respectively. RESULTS Forty-eight percent of DN patients(responders) benefited with respect to proteinuria from ACE inhibitor therapy at 6 mo follow-up. A significant reduction in ACR was observed after 6 mo treatment with ACE inhibitor irrespective of whether DN patients were micro-albuminuric(≥ 30 and < 300 mg/g creatinine) or macro-albuminuric(≥ 300 mg/g creatinine) at the time of enrollment. However, macro-albuminuric patients(55%) showed better response to therapy. A reduction in urinary ACR was found independent of genotypes of ACE I/D and AGT M235 T polymorphisms although macro-albuminuric patients having TT genotype showed statistically insignificant increased response(72%). CONCLUSION ACE inhibitor therapy reduced urinary ACR by ≥ 30% in 50% of DN patients and the response is independent of ACE I/D and AGT M235 T polymorphisms.

Effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blocker on one-year outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation: insights from a multicenter registry study in China

Objective To evaluate the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI)/angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blocker(ARB)therapy on the prognosis of patients with atrial fibrillation(AF).Methods A total of 1,991 AF patients from the AF registry were divided into two groups according to whether they were treated with ACEI/ARB at recruitment.Baseline characteristics were carefully collected and analyzed.Logistic regression was utilized to identify the predictors of ACEI/ARB therapy.The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality,while the secondary endpoints included cardiovascular mortality,stroke and major adverse events(MAEs)during the one-year follow-up period.Univariable and multivariable Cox regression were performed to identify the association between ACEI/ARB therapy and the one-year outcomes.Results In total,759 AF patients(38.1%)were treated with ACEI/ARB.Compared with AF patients without ACEI/ARB therapy,patients treated with ACEI/ARB tended to be older and had a higher rate of permanent AF,hypertension,diabetes mellitus,heart failure(HF),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)<40%,coronary artery disease(CAD),prior myocardial infarction(MI),left ventricular hypertrophy,tobacco use and concomitant medications(all P<0.05).Hypertension,HF,LVEF<40%,CAD,prior MI and tobacco use were determined to be predictors of ACEI/ARB treatment.Multivariable analysis showed that ACEI/ARB therapy was associated with a significantly lower risk of one-year all-cause mortality[hazard ratio(HR)(95%CI):0.682(0.527-0.882),P=0.003],cardiovascular mortality[HR(95%CI):0.713(0.514-0.988),P=0.042]and MAEs[HR(95%CI):0.698(0.568-0.859),P=0.001].The association between ACEI/ARB therapy and reduced mortality was consistent in the subgroup analysis.Conclusions In patients with AF,ACEI/ARB was related to significantly reduced one-year all-cause mortality,cardiovascular mortality and MAEs despite the high burden of cardiovascular comorbidities.

Long-term Administration of Angiotension-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Improves the Outcome of Chronic Heart Failure in Senile Patients

One hundred and sixteen senile patients (older than 65 years) with chronic heart failure (CHF) were analyzed retrospectively in order to verify if old patients with CHF would benefit from long term (one year) angiotension converting enzym e inhibitor (ACEI) treatment. The frequency of drugs (including ACEI, digitalis and diuretic) used was stratified into four degrees accordingly. Develop ment of the CHF was scored with regard to relapse rate and severity of this dise ase. Stepwise regression analysis was applied to explore the relationship betwee n the scored outcome of CHF and the frequency of individual drug administration. A significant relationship of the scored outcome of CHF to the frequency of ACE I usage but not to digitalis nor to diuretics was found (partial coefficient of the correlation r =0.42, P =0.002). It was concluded that the long term a dministration of ACEI improves the outcome of CHF in senile patients.

Microwave-assisted Solid-phase Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Docking of Angiotensin I-converting Enzyme Inhibitors

Short peptides based on the tripeptides, Leu-Arg-Pro and Leu-Lys-Pro, were synthesized by microwave assisted solid-phase synthesis method, in order to make a search for potential inhibitors for angiotensin I-converting enzyme（ACE） with minimum side effects in the treatment of hypertension. One peptide with the sequence Leu-Arg-Pro-Phe-Phe shows the strongest inhibition towards ACE with an IC50 value of 0.26 μmol/L in vitro. The study of structure-activity relationship shows that the introduction of a bulky group into the N-terminal of this series of inhibitors may enlarge steric hindrance, resulting in the poor inhibitory activity towards ACE. The inhibitory activity decreased in turn when L-Pro, D-Pro or Ac6c was at the C-terminal respectively. The binding interaction between each of these inhibitors and testicular ACE（tACE） was performed by molecular docking. The results suggest that Leu-Arg-Pro-Phe-Phe mainly occupied the S1 subsite of tACE, and made contact with tACE via seven H-bonds. It appeared that the site on the peptide that bound with tACE was influenced by the configuration of the amino acid, L or D-form, at the C-terminal of the peptide.

Interferon augments the anti-fibrotic activity of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in patients with refractory chronic hepatitis C

AIM： To evaluate the effect of combination treatment with the interferon （IFN） and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor （ACE-Ⅰ） on several fibrotic indices in patients with refractory chronic hepatitis C （CHC）. METHODS： Perindopril （an ACE-Ⅰ; 4 mg/d） and/or natural IFN （3 MU/L; 3 times a week） were administered for 12 mo to refractory CHC patients, and several indices of serum fibrosis markers were analyzed. RESULTS： ACE-Ⅰ decreased the serum fibrosis markers, whereas single treatment with IFN did not exert these inhibitory effects. However, IFN significantly augmented the effects of ACE-Ⅰ, and the combination treatment exerted the most potent inhibitory effects. The serum levels of alanine transaminase and HCV-RNA were not significantly different between the groups, whereas the plasma level of transforming growth factor-β was significantly attenuated almost in parallel with suppression of the serum fibrosis markers. CONCLUSION： The combination therapy of an ACE-Ⅰand IFN may have a diverse effect on disease progression in patients with CHC refractory to IFN therapy through its anti-fibrotic effect.

Hyperkalemia of Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers in Hemodialysis: A Meta-analysis

The safety of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) used in hemodialysis (HD) patients was evaluated.Medline,Embase,the Cochrane Library,some databases of clinical trial registries,grey literatures,other reference lists of eligible articles and review articles for the randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on comparison of ACEIs/ARBs or placebo in HD patients were retrieved.RCTs reporting the risk of hyperkalemia by using ACEIs/ARBs in HD patients were selected.Eight articles met the eligibility criteria and were subjected to meta-analysis by using the Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 4.2 software package.The results showed that there was no significant difference in hyperkalemia in HD patients between ACEIs or ARBs group and control group (ACEIs vs.control:RD=0.03,95% CI=-0.13?0.18,Z=0.34,P=0.73;ARBs vs.control:RD=-0.02,95% CI=-0.07?0.03,Z=0.75,P=0.45).However,there was no significant difference in the serum potassium between ACEIs or ARBs group and control group in HD patients (ACEIs vs.control:WMD=0.10,95% CI=0.06?0.15,Z=4.64,P<0.00001;ARBs vs.control:WMD=-0.24,95% CI=-0.37--0.11,Z=3.58,P=0.0003).The use of ACEIs or ARBs could not cause an increased risk of hyperkalemia in HD patients,however the serum potassium could be increased with use of ACEIs in HD patients.Therefore the serum potassium concentration should still be closely monitored when ACEIs are taken during the maintenance HD.

A new angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor from Peperomia pellucida(L.) Kunth

Objective:To isolate,identify,and evaluate a new angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor from Peperomia pellucida(L.)Kunth herbs.Methods:A dried sample of Peperomia pellucida herb was successively macerated with n-hexane and ethyl acetate.The ethyl acetate extract solution was evaporated to obtain the crude extract.Vacuum liquid column chromatography and thin layer chromatography were performed to obtain two pure compounds.Then,both compounds were elucidated and identified using the spectroscopic method.Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity studies of both compounds were determined using angiotensin-converting enzyme kit WST-1 with spectrophotometer microplate reader 96-well at 450 nm wavelength.Results:Two bioactive compounds were successfully isolated from Peperomia pellucida herb,including a new compound of 2,3,5-trimethoxy-9-(12,14,15-trimethoxybenzyl)-1 H-indene and pellucidin A.Both compounds demonstrated angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity,with IC50 values of 72 μM(27.95 μg/mL)and 1 1μM(4.4 μg/mL),respectively.Conclusions:In the present study,two active angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors were successfully isolated and purified from Peperomia pellucida which is used as an antihypertensive in traditional medicine,and support its use as an angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibiting drug.

Role of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in cryoballoon ablation outcomes for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND Cryoballoon ablation(CBA)is recommended for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(AF)refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs.However,only 80%of patients benefit from initial CBA.There is growing evidence that pretreatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors(ACEIs)and angiotensin receptor blockers(ARBs)decreases the recurrence of AF postablation,particularly in nonparoxysmal AF undergoing radiofrequency ablation.The role of ACEIs and ARBs in patients with paroxysmal AF in CBA remains unknown.We decided to investigate the role of ACEIs and ARBs in preventing the recurrence of atrial arrhythmia(AA)following CBA for paroxysmal AF.AIM To investigate the role of ACEIs and ARBs in preventing recurrence of AA following CBA for paroxysmal AF.METHODS We followed 103 patients(age 60.6±9.1 years,29%women)with paroxysmal AF undergoing CBA 1-year post procedure.Recurrence was assessed by documented AA on electrocardiogram or any form of long-term cardiac rhythm monitoring.A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess if ACEI or ARB treatment predicted the risk of AA recurrence.RESULTS After a 1-year follow-up,19(18.4%)participants developed recurrence of AA.Use of ACEI or ARB therapy was noted in the study population.Patients on ACEI/ARB had a greater prevalence of hypertension and coronary artery disease.On a multivariate model adjusted for baseline demographics and risk factors for AF,ACEI or ARB therapy did not prevent recurrence of AA following CBA(P=0.72).Similarly,on Kaplan–Meier analysis pretreatment with ACEI/ARB did not predict the time to first recurrence of AA(P=0.2173).CONCLUSION In our study population,preablation treatment with an ACEI or ARB had no influence on the recurrence of AA following CBA for paroxysmal AF.

Enzyme replacement therapy in two patients with classic Fabry disease from the same family tree:Two case reports

BACKGROUND The pathophysiology of Fabry disease(FD)-induced progressive vital organ damage is irreversible.Disease progression can be delayed using enzyme replacement therapy(ERT).In patients with classic FD,sporadic accumulation of globotriaosylceramide(GL-3)in the heart and kidney begins in utero;however,until childhood,GL-3 accumulation is mild and reversible and can be restored by ERT.The current consensus is that ERT initiation during early childhood is paramount.Nonetheless,complete recovery of organs in patients with advanced FD is challenging.CASE SUMMARY Two related male patients,an uncle(patient 1)and nephew(patient 2),presented with classic FD.Both patients were treated by us.Patient 1 was in his 50s,and ERT was initiated following end-organ damage;this was subsequently ineffective.He developed cerebral infarction and died of sudden cardiac arrest.Patient 2 was in his mid-30s,and ERT was initiated when the patient was diagnosed with FD,during which the damage to vital organs was not overtly apparent.Although he had left ventricular hypertrophy at the beginning of this treatment,the degree of hypertrophy progression was limited to a minimal range after>18 years of ERT.CONCLUSION We obtained discouraging ERT outcomes for older patients but encouraging outcomes for younger adults with classic FD.

Effects of angiotensin receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on COVID-19

BACKGROUND The World Health Organization reported that 28637952 people worldwide had been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),by September 13.AIM The aim was to investigate whether long-term use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system(RAAS)inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension aggravates the performance of COVID-19 patients with hypertension.METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of lung computed tomography(CT)data and laboratory values of COVID-19 patients with hypertension who were admitted to Huoshenshan Hospital,Wuhan,Hubei Province,between February 18 and March 31,2020.Patients were divided into two groups.Group A included 19 people who were long-term users of RAAS inhibitors for hypertension;and group B included 28 people who were randomly selected from the database and matched with group A by age,sex,basic diseases,and long-term use of other antihypertensive drugs.All patients underwent a series of CT and laboratory tests.We compared the most severe CT images of the two groups and the laboratory examination results within 2 d of the corresponding CT images.RESULTS The time until the most severe CT images from the onset of COVID-19 was 30.37±14.25 d group A and 26.50±11.97 d in group B.The difference between the two groups was not significant(t=1.01,P=0.32).There were no significant differences in blood laboratory values,C-reactive protein,markers of cardiac injury,liver function,or kidney function between the two groups.There was no significant difference in the appearance of the CT images between the two groups.The semiquantitative scores of each involved lobe were 11.84±5.88 in group A and 10.36±6.04 group B.The difference was not significantly different(t=0.84,P=0.41).CONCLUSION Chest CT is an important imaging tool to monitor the characteristics of COVID-19 and the degree of lung injury.Chronic use of RAAS inhibitors is not related to the severity of COVID-19,and it does not worsen the clinical process.

Angiotensin converting enzymes inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers should be continued in COVID-19 patients with hypertension

BACKGROUND Recent studies have revealed that sustained ingestion of angiotensin converting enzymes inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers(ACEIs/ARBs)had no harmful effects on coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)patients complicated with hypertension.AIM To investigate the impact on COVID-19 patients complicated with hypertension who discontinued using ACEIs/ARBs.METHODS All COVID-19 patients complicated with hypertension admitted to our isolated unit were consecutively recruited in this study.Some patients switched from ACEIs/ARBs to calcium channel blocker(CCBs)after admission,while others continued using non-ACEIs/ARBs.We compared characteristics and clinical outcomes between these two groups of patients.RESULTS A total of 53 patients were enrolled,27 patients switched from ACEIs/ARBs to CCBs while 26 patients continued with non-ACEIs/ARBs.After controlling potential confounding factors using the Cox proportional hazards model,hospital stay was longer in patients who discontinued ACEIs/ARBs,with a hazard ratio of 0.424(95%confidence interval:0.187-0.962;P=0.040),upon discharge than patients using other anti-hypertensive drugs.A sub-group analysis showed that the effect of discontinuing use of ACEIs/ARBs was stronger in moderate cases[hazard ratio=0.224(95%confidence interval:0.005-0.998;P=0.0497)].CONCLUSION Patients in the discontinued ACEIs/ARBs group had longer hospital stays.Our findings suggest that COVID-19 patients complicated with hypertension should continue to use ACEIs/ARBs.