PERIPHERAL BENZODIAZEPINE RECEPTORS IN LYMPHOCYTES OF ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Particular psychological traits and abnormal reactivity to stress have been described in hypertensive patients. We investigated modification s of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors (PBR) in mononuclear blood ce lls of patients with essential hypertension, as possible neurochemical markers of these traits. PBR densities and affinity were evaluated in 10 hypertensive patients and 10 controls. No alteration of receptor d ensity and affinity was observed in our patients, characterized by a n ormal renin-angiotensin system. PBR do not seem implicated in this typ e of hypertension, but could be involved in the pathogenesis of high-r enin hypertension, as suggested by studies in animal models.