DRG International Introduces ELISA Testing Kit for Hypertension Detection

DRG International introduces the Renin (Active) ELISA for testing of active Renin in human EDTA plasma. The ELISA test is essential in diagnosis and treatment of certain types of hypertension.

Renin is a protein (Mw of 37 kDa) that belongs to the aspartic acid proteinase family of enzymes. Renin regulates the mean arterial blood pressure of the human body cleavage of angiotensinogen into the precursor peptide angiotensin-1, which ultimately is processed by angiotension converting enzyme (ACE) to the active octapeptide angiotensin-2. Renin is produced constitutively as prorenin (inactive precursor with 386 amino acids) in the juxtaglomerular cells of the kidney. In response to low blood pressure, low sodium chloride, or activity of the sympathetic nervous system, active renin can be released either from a depot in the kidney or generated from prorenin by cleavage of 46 amino acids of the N-terminus of prorenin. The blood concentration of prorenin is approximately 10-fold higher than active renin.

By measuring the active renin levels in a sample, the DRG Renin (Active) ELISA (EIA-5125) can effectively diagnose hypertension in a pregnancy. This early detection opens up a much more effective array of treatment methods for the patient.

Cyril E. Geacintov, Ph. D. or ‘Dr. G’ as he’s often called is the founder, CEO, and president of DRG. “The DRG Renin (Active) ELISA Kit will allow research laboratories to quickly and easily measure for Renin,” he says. “This will allow for more accurate detection of hypertension in research samples.”

An exciting new product for the laboratory field, the DRG Renin (Active) ELISA (EIA-5125) will give research labs, both large and small, the capacity to test for this valuable marker. The DRG Renin (Active) ELISA is a solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on the sandwich principle. The kit is designed for research use only and will be available later this year.

DRG will be showcasing the Renin (Active) ELISA Kit at the AACC Conference later this month.