CAROTID INTIMA-MEDIA THICKENING AND IN-VIVO LDL OXIDATION IN PATIENTSWITH ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION

Low density lipoproteins (LDL) from hypertensive patients are more pro ne to in vitro oxidation and undergo a more pronounced oxidation in vi vo. Due to the pro-atherogenic activity of oxidatively modified LDL, t he correlation between the carotid intima-media thickening (IMT) and t he markers of in vivo LDL oxidation was investigated in hypertensive p atients. A cross-sectional study on 101 normocholesterolemic patients with newly diagnosed and untreated essential hypertension was performe d. The occurrence of in vivo LDL oxidation was evaluated by measuring the titers of autoantibodies against Cu2+-oxidised LDL (oxLDL) and mal ondialdehyde-derivatised LDL (MDA-LDL). The extent and degree of ather osclerosis and the IMT were measured by means of carotid and femoral u ltrasonography with a duplex scanner equipped with a high resolution p robe. We did not find significant correlations between in vivo LDL oxi dation parameters and the extent of atherosclerotic lesions in the ent ire group of hypertensive patients. However, a significant direct corr elation was detected between the carotid IMT and the titer of autoanti bodies against both oxLDL and MDA-LDL in hypertensive patients without advanced atherosclerotic plaques. The results obtained support the hy pothesis that enhanced LDL oxidation may be one of the pathophysiologi cal events related to the formation and progression of early atheroscl erotic lesions (IMT) in carotid arteries of hypertensive patients.