The association of plasma prorenin level with an oxidative stress marker, 8-OHdG, in nondiabetic hemodialysis patients.

Background: Circulating prorenin contributes to the pathogenesis of tissue damage leading to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in hypertension and diabetic mellitus (DM) by activating the tissue renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAS) system; however, little is known about its roles in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods: We evaluated plasma prorenin level and prorenin receptor [(P)RR] expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in 49 nondiabetic HD (non-DM-HD) patients. Then we investigated the association between plasma prorenin level or (P)RR expression level in PBMCs and CVD-predictive biomarkers.

Results: The plasma prorenin level increased in non-DM-HD patients [147.1 ± 118.9 pg/ml (standard value <100 pg/ml)]. The (P)RR mRNA expression level in PBMCs also increased 1.41 ± 0.39-fold in non-DM-HD patients compared with that in healthy control subjects (p < 0.001). Although plasma prorenin level did not correlate with plasma BNP level and plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level, it significantly correlated with plasma 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) level (r = 0.535, p < 0.001). The plasma prorenin level did not correlate with plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma angiotensin I (AT I) level, plasma angiotensin II (AT II) level and plasma aldosterone (Ald) level. PRA, plasma AT I level, plasma AT II level and plasma Ald level did not correlate with the level of any CVD predictive biomarker. (P)RR expression level in PBMCs did not correlate with the level of any CVD predictive biomarker.

Conclusions: The plasma prorenin level and (P)RR expression level in PBMCs increased, and the plasma prorenin level was associated with plasma 8-OHdG level independent of circulating RAS in non-DM-HD patients.