Relation between renin and prorenin in plasma from hypertensive patients and normal people: evidence for different renin:prorenin ratios.

Renin and prorenin concentrations in plasma correlate closely, but the proportion of active renin to prorenin shows some variation in different forms of hypertension. The proportion of active renin to prorenin is higher in normal renin essential hypertensives and in patients with renal hypertension than in normal subjects, and it is lower in low renin essential hypertension and primary hyperaldosteronism. Plasma deficient in plasma prekallikrein shows a lower proportion of active renin than might be expected. Active renin and plasma angiotensin II concentration show a strong correlation while prorenin correlates weakly with plasma angiotensin II concentration.