Renin ELISA

Renin is a 40 kDa protein with protease activity
secreted into the blood from juxtaglomerular cells of
the kidney, in response to reduced blood volumes or
reduced levels of NaCl in the body.
The main function of Renin is the conversion of
angiotensinogen, produced in the liver, into
angiotensin I, an inactive form that is then converted
to angiotensin II (the active form) in the epithelium of
the lung vasculature; such active form acts on the
central nervous system to cause vasoconstriction and
stimulate the secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
and aldosterone by the adrenal glands. The amount
of circulating renin is modulated by a negative feed- back, that involves angiotensin II.
In general, at the physiological level the action of
renin leads to blood pressure regulation and control
of the renal glomerular filtration rate. From a pathophysiological point of view, the
quantification of renin in plasma is useful in the
diagnosis of hypertension and therapeutic follow-up
of patients with hypertension; in this case, Renin
allows to discriminate between the forms of primary
aldosteronism (where the concentration of renin
decreases) and renovascular hypertension (where
the concentration of renin increases).