title: Is the serum level of salusin-β associated with hypertension and atherosclerosis in the pediatric population?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Salusins are recently identified endogenous bioactive peptides that have hypotensive and bradycardiac effects. Salusin-β is involved in the pathogenesis of human atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective cohort study of a young patient population with hypertension (HTN). Based on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), the adolescents were categorized into two groups, namely, a hypertensive group consisting of patients with essential (primary) HTN (HTN group) and a group consisting of patients with white-coat HTN [reference (R) group]. Correlations between serum salusin-β level and clinical, laboratory and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) variables were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median salusin-β concentration was significantly higher in patients with essential HTN than in those with white-coat HTN (R group). Salusin-β was positively correlated with the body mass index Z-score, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) from three independent measurements, mean systolic BP during the daytime, triglyceride (TG) level, and atherogenic index (TG/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this preliminary study suggest that salusin-β may play an important role in the pathogenesis of HTN in a young population. Further research should focus on the role of salusin-β in the mechanism of essential HTN and the assessment of possible correlations between salusin-β and other well-known markers of atherosclerosis in both teenagers and adults. This research should serve as a base for future studies in this field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kołakowska
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kuroczycka-Saniutycz
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wasilewska
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Olański
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C478739:TOR2A protein, human