title: Increased levels of CD40-CD40 ligand system in patients with essential hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although it has been hypothesized that hypertension is in part an inflammatory disorder, clinical data linking inflammation with incident hypertension are scarce. There is evidence that have shown that CD40-CD40L interaction plays a pathogenic role in inflammatory disorders. We assessed whether CD40 system expressions were altered in patients including 30 with hypertension grade 1, 80 with hypertension grade 2 and 40 with hypertension grade 3.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty normal controls and 150 patients with essential hypertension were investigated. The expression of CD40 and CD40L on platelet was analyzed by indirect-immunofluorescence flow cytometry and soluble CD40L level was determined by a commercially available ELISA. C-reactive protein was also measured by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients with hypertension showed a significant increase of CD40 (67.1+/-9.6 Mean Fluorescence Intensity, MFI) and CD40L (15.3+/-5.0 MFI) coexpression on platelets as well as sCD40L levels (12.8+/-3.9 ng/ml ) compared with controls (p<0.0001). We found that CRP levels related to CD40-CD40L system. We also observed a slight correlation between sCD40L level and blood pressure. During 3 months follow-up, patients with enhanced levels of sCD40L (>15 ng/ml) indicated a tough control of blood pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with essential hypertension show increased coexpression of CD40 system, which suggests that hypertension is in part an inflammatory disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Zhong Da Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China. yanjinchuan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jin-Chuan
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Gen-Shan
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zong-Gui
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xian-Tao
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Ren-Qian
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Zong
authors.forename: Lin-Zen
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Zhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D019013:CD40 Antigens; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D002097:C-Reactive Protein