title: Mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide and blood pressure in adolescents: effect of gender and pubertal stage.
abstract: Little is known about blood pressure in relation to circulating natriuretic peptide concentrations and gender in generally healthy adolescents. We studied 15-year-old females and males (n = 335) from the Danish site of the European Youth Heart Study (EYHS). Blood pressure was measured using a standardized protocol, sexual maturity was assessed according to Tanner stage, and as a surrogate for atrial natriuretic peptide, we measured mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) in plasma. Compared with boys, girls had lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) (mean ± SD: 109.6 ± 9.9 mmHg vs 116.9 ± 11.4 mmHg, p < 0.0001) and higher plasma MR-proANP concentrations [median (interquartile range): 42.1 pmol/l (31.9-50.2 pmol/l) vs 36.6 pmol/l (30.6-44.9 pmol/l), p = 0.0046]. When female adolescents were further subdivided according to Tanner stage, there were no differences in blood pressure and plasma MR-proANP concentrations between post-pubertal and pubertal girls (p > 0.17). In contrast, after similar subdivision, post-pubertal boys had higher SBP (mean ± SD: 117.7 ± 11.7 mmHg vs 111.4 ± 7.9 mmHg, p = 0.029) and lower plasma MR-proANP concentrations [median (interquartile range): 36.2 pmol/l (30.6-43.1 pmol/l) vs 46.4 pmol/l (30.3-51.1 pmol/l), p = 0.043] compared with pubertal boys. Given their higher SBP, boys had lower than expected plasma concentrations of MR-proANP compared with girls, and given their higher SBP, post-pubertal boys had lower than expected plasma concentrations of MR-proANP compared with pubertal boys.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen , Glostrup , Denmark.
authors.forename: Tina S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Goharian
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen , Glostrup , Denmark.
authors.forename: Anders N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gimsing
authors.affiliation: b Department of Clinical Biochemistry , Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Goetze
authors.affiliation: c Department of Medicine O , Endocrine Unit, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen , Herlev , Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.affiliation: d Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Department of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics , Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark.
authors.forename: Lars B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: d Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Department of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics , Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grøntved
authors.affiliation: a Department of Internal Medicine , Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen , Glostrup , Denmark.
authors.forename: Jørgen L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jeppesen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000097:blood*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor
keywords: Adolescence; Tanner stage; blood pressure; gender; natriuretic peptides; puberty