H. Sekihara et al., PLASMA 19-HYDROXYANDROSTENEDIONE IS ELEVATED IN PATIENTS WITH HIGH RENIN ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION, Clinical endocrinology, 39(5), 1993, pp. 557-560
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.