The ACE2 protein, through which the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus enters human cells, may have a protective role in hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Scientists at the Mayo Clinic reached this conclusion. The study results are published in the journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.
During the work, specialists examined over 45 thousand blood samples from participants in the UK Biobank. Researchers assessed the levels of nine proteins associated with cardiovascular ailments, including ACE2, BNP, NT-proBNP, and troponin I.
The greatest attention from the researchers was drawn to ACE2 – angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. Its elevated concentrations were more often detected in individuals with high blood pressure and diabetes, which are conditions significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular complications. The link was particularly pronounced in women and correlated with genetic variants linked to diabetes.
Using the Mendelian randomization method, scientists obtained data suggesting that elevated ACE2 levels might not only accompany these diseases but potentially reduce the probability of their onset.
The authors explain this outcome by the protein’s biological function: ACE2 breaks down angiotensin II – a substance causing vessel constriction – and facilitates the formation of compounds that relax the vascular wall. Thus, the rise in ACE2 levels during hypertension could be a compensatory response by the body, aimed at lowering pressure.
Although ACE2 is widely known as a coronavirus receptor, the new findings, in the scientists’ view, underscore its crucial function in regulating the cardiovascular system’s operation. Prospectively, the protein may be viewed as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target.
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