title: Serum lipoprotein (a) levels in patients with arterial hypertension.
abstract: Lp(a) is capable of deleteriously altering the balance between the procoagulant and anticoagulant, proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory, and vasorelaxing and vasoconstricting properties of the endothelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the serum concentration of Lp(a) and the main parameters of lipid profile in three groups of subjects: a control group that included 16 healthy subjects, 20 patients with arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia and 20 patients with arterial hypertension without dyslipidemia. Using B-mode ultrasonography, we evaluated carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and flow mediated vasodilation (FMD) on brachial artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant higher Lp(a) concentrations in hypertensive patients with dislipidemia (70 +/- 55.95 mg/dL, p < 0.001) and in hypertensive patients without dislipidemia (69 +/- 52.33 mg/dL, p < 0.001), comparative with the control group (19 +/- 14.64 mg/dL). In hypertensive patients with dislipidemia we found a strong negative correlation between Lp(a) and carotid IMT (R2 = -0.75, p < 0.001) and a moderate negative correlation between Lp(a) and FMD (R2 = -0.38, p < 0.001). Lp(a) level wasn't correlated with the main parameters of lipid profile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that serum Lp(a) values could play an important role in essential hypertension pathogenesis and could be considered as an individual risk factor in hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: Pathophysiology Department, School of Medicine, V. Babeş University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timişoara.
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Serban
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nicola
authors.forename: Rodica
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mateescu
authors.forename: Lavinia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Noveanu
authors.forename: Lelia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Susan
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pacurari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caraba
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Romoşan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cristescu
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D014280:Triglycerides