title: Endothelin-1 circulating levels increase in patients with orthotopic heart transplantation and in chronic therapy with cyclosporine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to investigate the behaviour of plasma levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), an endothelial peptide with vasoconstrictive and proliferative actions, in patients with cardiac transplantation and in chronic treatment with cyclosporine A, some of whom became hypertensive after cardiac transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied: 1) 18 consecutive patients (15 M, 3F; mean age 53 +/- 7 yrs) who underwent cardiac transplantation about six months ago at least (range 6-108 months); 2) 15 patients with essential arterial hypertension (10 M, 5 F; mean age 42 +/- 15 yrs) without organ damage; 3) 21 normal subjects (15 M, 6 F; mean age 31 +/- 12 yrs). Plasma levels of ET-1 (RIA), haemodynamic and functional renal parameters were determined in all groups and plasma levels of cyclosporine were measured in patients with cardiac transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ET-1 was higher in patients with cardiac transplantation than in the other two groups (p < 0.05); instead there was no difference between patients with essential arterial hypertension and controls (p>0.05). A statistical difference was found between circulating ET-1 in hypertensive transplanted patients. In heart transplanted patients a positive and significative correlation was found between plasma levels of ET-1 and systolic (r=0.525; p<0.037) blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento de Scienze Cliniche, Policlinico Umberto I, 00185, Roma.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Letizia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Biase
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caliumi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Verrelli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Semeraro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subioli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cerci
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Erasmo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D019332:Endothelin-1; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents