title: Elevated endothelin-1 plasma concentration in patients with essential hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endothelin-1 (ET-1) may play an important role in the development and maintenance of hypertensive states. In patients with essential hypertension, ET-1 plasma concentration increases or remains unchanged. The aim of the present study was to investigate ET-1 plasma concentration in patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension and its interrelationship with catecholamines, neuropeptide Y and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 37 patients (mean age 38.2 +/- 1.6 years) with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension. The control group consisted of 21 healthy volunteers (mean age 35.6 +/- 1.4 years). ET-1, neuropeptide Y and ANP were determined by radioimmunoassay methods and catecholamine plasma concentration was determined radioenzymatically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study shows that plasma ET-1 and neuropeptide Y levels are elevated in patients with essential hypertension compared with a control group. No correlation was found in either of the groups between plasma ET-1 level and plasma neuropeptide Y, catecholamine or ANP concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that ET-1 is relevant in the development and maintenance of elevated blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hypertension and Angiology, Academy of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Januszewicz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lapiński
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Symonides
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dabrowska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuch-Wocial
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trzepla
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ignatowska-Switalska
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wocial
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chodakowska
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Januszewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D016232:Endothelins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D016232:Endothelins; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor