LEUKOCYTE RESPONSIVENESS TO SUBSTANCES THAT ACTIVATE THE RESPIRATORY BURST IS NOT ALTERED IN BORDERLINE AND ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION

Activated leukocytes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hyper tension and its complications. The present study investigated the acti vity stage of leukocytes for production of reactive oxygen species (RO S) in 17 normotensive controls and subjects with borderline (n = 17) o r essential hypertension (n = 17) using different biological materials (whole blood and isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs)), stim uli and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine and ROS detection assays (chemiluminescence, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion determinat ion). Neither the capacity for extracellular generation of oxygen meta bolites nor the production of ROS with an intracellular origin were si gnificantly different in isolated PMNLs between controls and hypertens ive subjects. There were no significant differences in the luminol-amp lified zymosan- or FMLP-stimulated whole blood chemiluminescence respo nse. In addition, the leukocyte count did not differ between the group s. The results suggest that circulating leukocytes of controls and hyp ertensives existed in a resting state in our experimental conditions. We did not find any evidence of enhanced basal leukocyte free radical activity in patients with mild or severe hypertension.