title: Relationships of osteoprotegerin with albuminuria and asymmetric dimethylarginine in essential hypertension: integrating vascular dysfunction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the inter-relationships of osteoprotegerin (OPG) with albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) and asymmetric dimethylargine (ADMA) in hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 198 untreated non-diabetic hypertensive patients [130 males, mean age=51.5 years, office blood pressure (BP)=152/98 mmHg] ACR values and OPG and ADMA levels were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on the median value of OPG distribution (5.03 pmol/l) patients with high (n=101) compared with those with low OPG values (n=97) had greater 24-h systolic BP (152±5 versus 137±7 mmHg, p<0.0001), ACR [25.3 (5-190) versus 17.3 (5-92) mg/g, p=0.003) and ADMA [0.62 (0.58-0.68) versus 0.57 (0.48-0.62) μmol/l, p=0.001), independently of confounding factors. Multiple regression analyses revealed that ADMA (b=0.388, p<0.0001), 24-h systolic BP (b=0.228, p=0.01) and ACR (b=0.470, p<0.0001) were independent predictors of OPG (R2=0.398, p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In hypertensive patients, high OPG levels are accompanied by pronounced albuminuria and endothelial dysfunction, as reflected by raised ADMA levels. Furthermore, the independent associations of OPG with ACR and ADMA, suggests a link between OPG and the progression of diffuse hypertensive vascular damage.
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, Hippokration Hospital, 3 Kolokotroni Street, 15236 P.Penteli, Athens, Greece. ktsioufis@hippocratio.gr
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsioufis
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aggelis
authors.forename: Kyriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dimitriadis
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomopoulos
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasiakogias
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tzamou
authors.forename: Stella-Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kyvelou
authors.forename: Dimitri P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Mikhailidis
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papademetriou
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D053244:Osteoprotegerin; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine