[Value of C-reactive protein in the diagnosis of arteriosclerosis in patients with essential hypertension].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the diagnosis of arteriosclerosis in patients with essential hypertension.


METHODS
This study included 771 patients with essential hypertension and 243 healthy individuals, and all the subjects were measured for carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and serum CRP level using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The value of CRP in the diagnosis of arteriosclerosis in patients with essential hypertension was evaluated according to the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was evaluated with cfPWV> or =9 m/s as the golden diagnostic standard.


RESULTS
The hypertensive patients had significantly higher cfPWV and serum CRP concentration than the healthy individuals (16.51-/+1.6 vs 9.81-/+1.1, P<0.001; 4.96-/+1.15 vs 3.52-/+0.33, P<0.001, respectively). CRP showed significant positive correlations to systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP) (r=0.584, P<0.001; r=0.624, P<0.001), and when controlled for age, SBP and PP, CRP was found in close correlation to cfPWV (r=0.746, P<0.001). The AUCROC of CRP was 0.907, and the peak point of the ROC curve was 3.85 mg/L, at which point CRP showed a diagnostic sensitivity of 83.9% and specificity of 86.8% with a misdiagnosis rate of 13.2% for arteriosclerosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Arteriosclerosis and nonspecific inflammation are prevalent in patients with essential hypertension, and CRP with the cutoff value of 3.85 mg/L may serve as a sensitive indicator for arteriosclerosis diagnosis in these patients.
Deng
Lie-Hua
LH
Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. glinson1972@21cn.com
Huang
Rong
R
Wu
Zhen-Li
ZL
Xu
Ding-Li
DL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D002097:C-Reactive Protein