title: A new test showing abnormal net Na+ and K+ fluxes in erythrocytes of essential hypertensive patients.
abstract: A new and simple laboratory test for measuring net Na+ and K+ fluxes in Na+-loaded/K+-depleted human erythrocytes was developed and applied to hypertension. Moderate essential hypertension (10 patients) was characterised by a constant increase in net K+ influx, possibly related to higher Na+, K+-pump activity. In more severe cases (8 patients) net Na+ efflux from erythrocytes dropped. The ratio of Na+/K+ net fluxes was therefore reduced in all essential hypertensive patients. Conversely, Na+ and K+ erythrocyte fluxes were normal in hypertension of renal origin (5 patients). Erythrocyte K+ influx was normal in young normotensive people born of normotensive parents (17 cases), but was increased in 5 of 8 young normotensive people born of essential hypertensive parents, in families where blood-pressure has been recorded for three generations. This result, which seems to indicate genetic transmission, suggests that measurement of Na+ and K+ erythrocyte fluxes may help to detect subjects liable to high blood-pressure.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001692:Biological Transport; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002648:Child; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006955:Hypernatremia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D010783:Photometry / Q000379:methods; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium