title: [Plasma hydrogen sulfide and homocysteine levels in hypertensive patients with different blood pressure levels and complications].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was designed to observe the plasma concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) and homocysteine (HCY) in hypertensive patients with different blood pressure levels and complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 165 outpatients with essential hypertension were involved in this study (84 males, 81 females, mean age 59.81 +/- 10.60 years old). There were 28 new-onset untreated, 137 ever-treated patients. Among ever-treated patients, blood pressure was normal in 38, grade 1 hypertension in 43, grade 2 and 3 hypertension in 56 patients. Thirty-two patients were accompanied with coronary heart disease (CAD), and 42 patients were accompanied with stroke. A total of 32 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (18 males) were also recruited. Plasma H(2)S and HCY concentrations were determined in all patients and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) Plasma H(2)S levels were significantly lower (P < 0.05) and HCY levels were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in ever-treated hypertensive patients compared with controls. (2) Plasma HCY levels were significantly higher in patients with hypertension history > 6 months and complicated with CAD compared to patients without CAD. (3) Plasma H(2)S concentrations in patients with stroke history > 5 years were significantly lower than that in patients without stroke (P < 0.01). Plasma HCY concentrations were increased in proportion to stroke history. (4) In ever-treated hypertensive patients, plasma H(2)S concentrations in patients with grade 2 and 3 hypertension were significantly lower (P < 0.05) and HCY levels significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that in patients with well-controlled blood pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperhomocysteinemia and the novel signaling gasotransmitter H(2)S might play important roles in the pathogenesis and development of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, People's Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China. nlsun@263.net
authors.forename: Ning-ling
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Song-na
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chao-shu
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005740:Gases / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000097:blood*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010949:Plasma / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D006710:Homocysteine; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide