title: Inflammatory activation and left ventricular mass in essential hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammation is an independent risk factor for high blood pressure, and as a consequence inflammatory cytokines could be related with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We sought to assess the association and predictive role of different cytokine levels with LVH in a group of patients with essential hypertension (HT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 251 asymptomatic hypertensive patients (142 with LVH and 109 without LVH), referred from 11 hospitals. A routine physical examination, laboratory analyses, and echo-Doppler study were performed. Plasma soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors (sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) were centrally determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypertensive patients with LVH had higher inflammatory cytokine levels than the group without hypertrophy (P < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression reported that sTNF-R1 (P < 0.01) was an independent predictor of left ventricular mass index (LVMI). All cytokines had significant area under the curves for detection of LVH, but sTNF-R1 has the highest area, 0.71 +/- 0.03 (P < 0.001). Finally, prevalence of LVH was increased in the group of patients with higher cytokine levels, and logistic regression analysis showed that sTNF-R1 (odds ratio = 2.59, 95% CI of 1.14-5.87) was an independent predictor of LVH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytokine levels were significantly correlated with LVMI in hypertensive patients. The sTNF-R1 was an independent predictor of LVMI. Plasma sTNF-R1 concentrations could be a predictive factor of LVH in patients with essential HT.
authors.affiliation: Cardiocirculatory Unit, Research Center, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roselló-Lletí
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martínez-Dolz
authors.forename: Jose R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: González Juanatey
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cortés
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jordán
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morillas
authors.forename: Catheline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lauwers
authors.forename: Jose R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Calabuig
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Antorrena
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Rivas
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Portolés
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bertomeu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000068800:Etanercept; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D000068800:Etanercept