SERPINE1 and diabetes mellitus: Elevated plasma prorenin levels are commonly found in diabetic patients; and, also, it has been demonstrated that prorenin at high concentration binds and activates prorenin/renin receptor [(p)RR] on vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro, leading to increased expression of PAI-1 via Angiotensin II-independent and dependent mechanisms, suggesting that elevated prorenin levels in diabetes may contribute to progression of atherothrombotic disease [26].