MO069SARS-COV-2 RECEPTOR ACE-2, TMPRSS2 AND SOLUBLE ACE-2 IN PATIENTS WITH END STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to dramatic loss of lives due to COVID-19. Individuals with chronic conditions, including patients with kidney failure and/or kidney transplants, are affected more substantially due to multiple comorbidities and altered immune system. The first step of this infection process is the binding of SARS-CoV-2 with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptor, followed by its priming by transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). We hypothesized that the expressions of ACE-2 and TMPRSS2 are increased in microvasculature, in addition to increased circulating soluble ACE-2 levels in patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD);i.e. prerequisites to explain to why ESKD patients are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, we assessed if there is a difference in the expression of ACE-2 and TMPRSS2 receptors in the resistance artery and subcutaneous adipose tissue, alongside circulating soluble ACE-2 levels in ESKD patients versus controls. METHOD: A total of 210 participants were enrolled, representing 80 ESKD and 73 healthy controls for soluble ACE-2 analysis, and 31 ESKD and 26 healthy controls for isolated subcutaneous vasculature bioassay. Immunofluorescence techniques were performed for the detection and evaluation of ACE-2 and TMPRSS2 in isolated subcutaneous resistance artery (200-300 μm of internal