PLASMA 19-HYDROXYANDROSTENEDIONE IS ELEVATED IN PATIENTS WITH HIGH RENIN ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION

OBJECTIVES We have reported that 19-hydroxyandrostenedione (19-OH-A-di one) functions as an amplifier of the sodium-retaining and hypertensiv e action of aldosterone. We therefore measured 19-hydroxyandrostenedio ne in hypertensive patients. PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS We studied 53 n ormal male control subjects and 63 male patients with essential hypert ension (48 patients with normal renin essential hypertension and 15 pa tients with high renin essential hypertension). Plasma 19-OH-A-dione l evels were measured by RIA. RESULTS Plasma 19-OH-A-dione concentration s in control subjects and patients with normal and high renin essentia l hypertension were 115 +/- 46 (mean +/- SD), 112 +/- 49 and 201 +/- 7 9 pmol/l, respectively. Patients with high renin essential hypertensio n showed significantly higher 19-OH-A-dione concentrations than did co ntrol subjects. The evaluation of the correlation between plasma 19-OH -A-dione concentrations and plasma renin activity revealed that plasma 19-OH-A-dione concentrations in hypertensive subjects rose gradually with an increase in plasma renin activity. Therefore, a significant co rrelation was found between plasma renin activity and plasma 19-OH-A-d ione (r = 0.586, P < 0.001). In contrast, in control subjects, no sign ificant correlation was found between plasma renin activity and plasma 19-OH-A-dione (r = 0.059, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The secretion of 19- OH-A-dione from the adrenal cortex is under the control of the renin-a ngiotensin system in hypertensives but not in normotensives.