title: Human soluble leptin receptor number in healthy normotensive individuals with high normal blood pressure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High normal blood pressure (BP) seems to be related to increased cardiovascular risk in healthy normotensive subjects, whereas hyperleptinemia enhances both sympathetic tone and arterial BP. The aim of our study was to determine the human soluble leptin receptor number in healthy normotensive subjects with high normal BP and to compare these findings to those of healthy normotensive individuals with normal BP levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 36 healthy normotensive individuals with high normal BP (19 men and 17 women, mean age 42+/-8 years, body mass index [BMI] 23+/-1.5 kg/m2) and 40 healthy normotensive individuals with normal BP (23 men and 17 women, mean age 43+/-7 years, BMI 23.2+/-1.4 kg/m2). The two groups are matched for age, sex, and BMI. The human soluble leptin receptor number and immunoreactive leptin levels were determined in the study population by enzyme-linked immunoassay and radioimmunoassay, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean plasma leptin levels were significantly higher, whereas mean human soluble leptin receptor numbers were lower in the group with high normal BP compared with the normotensive group (10+/-4.8 v 6+/-2.7 ng/mL, P<.001 and 18+/-7 v 27+/-9 IU/mL, P<.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that normotensive individuals with high normal BP have statistically significantly higher plasma leptin levels and lower numbers of human soluble leptin receptors. This observation may play a important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular events in this special group of patients and needs further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Laiko Hospital, and Laboratory of Experimental Surgery and Surgical Research, Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. jimpapdoc@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Dimitrios P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Makris
authors.forename: Panagiota G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Krespi
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poulakou
authors.forename: Ioannis A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Paizis
authors.forename: Antonios N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Hatzizacharias
authors.forename: Despina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perrea
authors.forename: Vasilios V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Votteas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: C515448:LEPR protein, human; D020738:Leptin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin