Plasma Renin Activity (PRA) ELISA Kit

Enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) for the determination of Plasma Renin Activity (PRA) in human EDTA plasma. For research use only, not for use in diagnostic procedures.<br><br>

Measurement of PRA is important for the research of hypertensive subjects. In particular, determination of plasma renin activity can be useful in the study of primary hyperaldosteronism (5-13% of hypertensive cases) and assist in the therapy and management of other forms of hypertension.<br><br>

PRA, in contrast to the determination of renin concentration, is a more accurate indicator of primary hyperaldosteronism (PHA), because of several reasons: 1. PRA is the expression of the rate of Ang-I formation through the enzymatic action of renin on its substrate, angiotensinogen, therefore PRA depends not only on renin concentration but also on the concentration of angiotensinogen which is ignored in the renin concentration assay; 2. Plasma renin concentration assay does not ensure sensitivity in low renin states, while the sensitivity of the PRA assay can be enhanced by increasing the incubation time during the generation step (Sealey et al., 2005), 3. When an inhibitor is bound to the renin active site PRA is inhibited, whereas the presence of the inhibitor does not affect the recognition of renin by currently available immunoassays, therefore total renin concentration does not always correlate with plasma renin activity (Campbell et al., 2009).<br><br>

Renin liberates angiotensin-I from angiotensinogen. Angiotensin-I is transformed to angiotensin-II largely in pulmonary circulation by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). Angiotensin-II raises blood pressure by direct arteriolar vasoconstriction, promoting sodium retention, and stimulating the secretion of aldosterone from the adrenal cortex. Aldosterone also exerts an effect to restore sodium balance and lift arterial pressure. Accurate determination of the concentration of circulating angiotensin-II is challenging because of its instability in blood samples.