title: Increased levels of inflammatory markers in hypertensives with target organ damage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammatory markers have been reported to be elevated in hypertension.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We compared levels of inflammatory markers between hypertensives (HT) with target organ damage (TOD) but without associated clinical conditions (ACC), n=55, HT with ACC, n=42, HT without TOD/ACC, n=22 and normotensive controls, n=41.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of CRP, fibrinogen, TNF-alpha and anti-HSP60 antibodies were measured. Hypertensive complications were assessed on the basis of clinical history and the following investigations: M-mode echocardiography (left ventricular hypertrophy), Doppler: mitral and pulmonary vein flow and isovolumetric relaxation time (diastolic dysfunction), vascular ultrasound (common carotid artery intima-media thickness--IMT), pulse wave velocity (carotid-femoral arterial stiffness) and creatinine concentration (renal function).
  
  
  RESULTS
  HT with TOD had higher concentrations of CRP than controls (1.71 vs 0.76 mg/l, p <0.0001); higher fibrinogen and TNF-a vs controls and also vs HT without TOD/ACC (2.80 vs 2.53 vs 2.49 g/l, p <0.0001) and (2.49 vs 2.00 vs 1.83 pg/ml, p=0.04), respectively. HT without TOD/ACC did not differ from the control group in inflammatory marker concentrations. HT with ACC did not differ from HT with TOD in inflammatory marker concentrations. There were no differences in anti-HSP60 antibody concentrations between all groups. In multiple regression analysis only IMT was influenced by inflammatory markers: fibrinogen (beta=0.2, p=0.02) and TNF-alpha, (beta=0.17, p=0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that inflammatory markers are elevated in HT with TOD and are not elevated in uncomplicated HT without TOD.
authors.affiliation: I Klinika Kardiologii, ul. Kopernika 17, 31-501 Kraków, Poland. mcjastrz@cyf-kr.edu.pl
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jastrzebski
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czarnecka
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rajzer
authors.forename: Kalina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawecka-Jaszcz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012016:Reference Values; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein