Associations of plasma endothelin concentration with carotid atherosclerosis and asymptomatic cerebrovascular lesions in patients with essential hypertension.
We studied the association of endothelin (ET)-1 with carotid atherosclerosis and asymptomatic cerebrovascular lesions in patients with essential hypertension. Neurologically normal patients with essential hypertension (n=293; 138 male, 155 female; mean age, 65 years) and age-matched control subjects (n=242) were studied with B-mode ultrasonography of the common and internal carotid arteries and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Plasma ET-1 was measured by enzyme immunoassay. Hypertensive patients were divided into groups with carotid plaques and low ET-1 concentrations (< 0.75 pg/ml; PL group); carotid plaques and mid-range ET-1 (0.75 to 1.55 pg/ml; PM group); carotid plaques and high ET-1 (> or = 1.55 pg/ml; PH group); no plaques and low ET-1 (NPL); no plaques and mid-range ET-1 (NPM); and no plaques and high ET-1 (NPH). Overall, ET-1 concentrations were significantly higher in patients than in control subjects. Carotid plaque prevalence was significantly related to ET-1 in hypertensive patients. ET-1 showed a significant positive relationship with the number of asymptomatic lacunar infarcts of the brain in hypertensive patients with carotid plaques (rho=0.48, p<0.001). No significant relationship was seen between ET-1 and periventricular hyperintensity scores in patients with plaques. ET-1 did not show a relationship to either brain lesion type in patients without carotid plaques. Thus, ET-1 may foster asymptomatic lacunar cerebral infarcts by promoting carotid atherosclerosis in patients with essential hypertension.
Minami
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan. bqsc72-5@mahoroba.ne.jp
Yamano
S
S
Yamamoto
Y
Y
Sasaki
R
R
Nakashima
T
T
Takaoka
M
M
Hashimoto
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography
D019332:Endothelin-1