title: [Telomerase activity in peripheral blood leukocytes from patients with essential hypertension].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Primary or secondary activation of the immune mechanisms that lead to proliferation and dysfunction of specific cellular groups appears to be involved in the pathogenesis and complications of essential hypertension. In view of the evidence that, on one hand, telomeric length determines the replicative capacity and life span of cells and, on the other hand, idiopathic hypertensive patients have peripheral white cell replicative disorders, we decided to investigate the relationship between the influence of telomerase activity in peripheral leukocytes as an indirect marker of telomeric length and the presence of arterial hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Telomerase activity in peripheral white blood cells was measured in healthy individuals, in effectively treated hypertensive patients and in a non-well controlled hypertensive group. White blood cells were separated through a density gradient, then lysed and their DNA amplified by a polimerase chain reaction (PCR). Telomerase activity was determined with an ELISA specific kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The white blood cell count was higher in the hypertensive than the control group (p < 0.05). Telomerase activity was positive in all three groups but higher in patients under 45 year-old with bad controlled hypertension as compared with healthy individuals and patients under 45 year-old with well controlled hypertension (p < 0.05); in the latter group, telomerase activity was significantly lower than in the other groups (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that there exists a relationship between telomerase activity in peripheral leukocytes, the proliferation of these white blood cells and the presence of essential arterial hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna. Hospital Dr. Domingo Luciani. Caracas. mjtristano@cantv.net
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tristano
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eugenia Chollet
authors.forename: María L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Willson
authors.forename: Haroution
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Adjounian
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernanda Correa
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borges
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019098:Telomerase / Q000097:blood*; D016615:Telomere
chemical_list: D019098:Telomerase