[Determinants of endothelial cell damage in the elderly hypertension: assessment by plasma von Willebrand factor].
To investigate the determinants of endothelial cell damage in hypertensive elderly patients, we measured the plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels by a recently developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibody for the functional epitope. Plasma vWF level was markedly increased in the elderly normotensive subjects (n = 42) than in younger normotensive subjects (n = 39) (127 vs 88%, p < .0001), and was further increased in elderly hypertensive subjects (n = 68) (148%, p < .05 vs elderly normotensives). The vWF level was positively correlated with body mass index in younger normotensive subjects (r = 0.41, p < .01), with systolic blood pressure (BP) in elderly normotensive subjects (r = 0.41, p < .01), and with age (r = 0.44, p < .001) and fibrinogen level (r = 0.37, p < .01) in elderly hypertensive subjects. In elderly hypertensive subjects (n = 150), vWF level had a stronger positive correlation with 24-hr systolic BP measured (r = 0.41, p < .0001) by ambulatory BP monitoring than with clinic systolic BP (r = 0.33, p < .0001). In conclusion, in hypertensive elderly patients, endothelial cell damage increases with systolic BP and fibrinogen levels, indicating a prethrombotic condition.
Department of Cardiology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan. kak2012@mail.med.cornell.edu
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Kario
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Hoshide
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Matsuo
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Shimada
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis*
D014841:von Willebrand Factor