title: Na-K-ATPase in erythrocyte ghosts is not a marker for primary hypertension.
abstract: In search for a diagnostic marker for essential hypertension, we investigated the activity of the ouabain sensitive Na-K-ATPase and the ouabain insensitive ATPase in erythrocyte ghosts of 57 patients with essential hypertension, 12 patients with renal hypertension, 6 patients with Cushing's syndrome and 4 patients with primary hyperaldosteronism. Na-K-ATPase-activity was increased in patients with essential hypertension and in patients with renal hypertension compared with controls with a considerable overlap. Na-K-ATPase-activity was increased in all patients with Cushing's syndrome but was not different from the control group in patients with Conn's syndrome. Ouabain-insensitive ATPase-activity was similar in all patients and in normotensive controls. The serum of patients with essential hypertension did not exhibit an ouabain-like ATPase-inhibiting activity when incubated with erythrocyte ghosts of normotensive controls. In our hands, determination of the Na-K-ATPase-activity in erythrocyte ghosts cannot be used as a diagnostic marker for essential hypertension.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000201:enzymology; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000201:enzymology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000201:enzymology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000201:enzymology*; D006978:Hypertension, Renovascular / Q000201:enzymology; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010042:Ouabain / Q000494:pharmacology; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D007106:Immune Sera; D010042:Ouabain; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase