Endothelial dysfunction and sympathetic nervous system activation in young patients with essential arterial hypertension and without hypercholesterolaemia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate whether measurements of hs-C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), endothelin-1 (ET-1), epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) would provide useful information for the assessment of endothelial dysfunction and sympathetic nervous system activation in a selected group of young, properly treated patients with essential arterial hypertension (HTN) and without hypercholesterolaemia.


RESULTS
Serum hs-CRP and ET-1 as well as plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations were measured in 134 subjects (62 patients with diagnosed HTN and 72 healthy subjects from a reference group). In patients the concentrations of hs-CRP, ET-1 and NE were significantly higher, than in healthy subjects. The highest diagnostic sensitivity (87%; 95% CI 76.1-94.2) was found for serum hs-CRP; the highest diagnostic specificity (96%; 95% CI 88.3-99.1) and positive predictive value (89%) were found for ET-1 measurements. The analysis of logistic regression showed that the highest risk of HTN was found for the patients with high levels of ET-1, hs-CRP and NE, but not epinephrine.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that measurements of hs-CRP, ET-1 and NE may be useful in the identification of endothelial dysfunction and sympathetic activation in young patients with properly controlled essential arterial hypertension and without hyperlipidaemia.
Department of Cardiology, Medical University, Bialystok, Poland. agnieszka.kuklinska@gmail.com
Agnieszka M
AM
Kuklinska
Barbara
B
Mroczko
Wlodzimierz J
WJ
Musial
Robert
R
Sawicki
Karol
K
Kaminski
Monika
M
Usowicz-Szarynska
Maciej
M
Szmitkowski
D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*
D019332:Endothelin-1; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine