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Aims Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the cellular entry point for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)—the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the effect of renin-angiotensin system (RAS)-inhibition on ACE2 expression in human tissues of key relevance to blood pressure regulation and COVID-19 infection has not previously been reported. Methods and results We examined how hypertension, its major metabolic co-phenotypes, and antihypertensive medications relate to ACE2 renal expression using information from up to 436 patients whose kidney transcriptomes were characterized by RNA-sequencing. We further validated some of the key observations in other human tissues and/or a controlled experimental model. Our data reveal increasing expression of ACE2 with age in both human lungs and the kidney. We show no association between renal expression of ACE2 and either hypertension or common types of RAS inhibiting drugs. We demonstrate that renal abundance of ACE2 is positively associated with a biochemical index of kidney function and show a strong enrichment for genes responsible for kidney health and disease in ACE2 co-expression analysis. Conclusion Our results indicate that neither hypertension nor antihypertensive treatment is likely to alter the expression of the key entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2 in the human kidney. Our data further suggest that in the absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, kidney ACE2 is most likely nephro-protective but the age-related increase in its expression within lungs and kidneys may be relevant to the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

To improve diabetic haemodialysis patients' quality of life, physical activity should be incorporated to the routine dialysis care and health care professionals should support them more intensively.

IntroductionTransforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is a cytokine involved in the process of pathological tissue sclerosis, which is part of the pathophysiological mechanism of end stage renal disease development. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs1800471 of the TGFB1 gene with chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurrence and progression as well as hypertension appearance.Material and methodsIt was a case-control study where 109 patients with CKD and 111 very old people were enrolled. The association of the studied polymorphism with mentioned diseases was assessed in the whole study group as well as in the subgroups stratified according to the underlying etiology of CKD: nephropathy in type 1 diabetes (n = 13), chronic glomerulonephritis (n = 50) and chronic interstitial nephritis (n = 46).ResultsNo association of CKD progression with rs1800471 polymorphism was observed. The C allele was identified as the one associated with higher risk of the disease occurrence in the dominant model of inheritance (p = 0.035). The C allele in women, opposite to male gender, was associated with higher risk of CKD development (p = 0.038). GG genotype was associated with elevated risk of hypertension appearance (p = 0,0021).ConclusionsDue to the lack of accordance with previously performed studies it is still impossible to state an unequivocal conclusion regarding the association between rs1800471 polymorphism of the TGFB1 gene and risk of CKD occurrence and progression as well as hypertension appearance. That is why it is necessary to perform further studies in this field.