HUMORAL IMMUNITY AND VASCULAR REACTIVITY IN HYPERTENSIVE SUBJECTS WITH HIGH BLOOD-LIPIDS

Out of 60 males aged 41 +/- 1 suffering from mild arterial hypertensio n (158 +/- 4/100 +/- 2 mm Hg) a hereditary load by hypertension was fo und in 63.3 %, serum cholesterol levels reached 200 mg/dl in 85 % of t he patients. The patients with the load and enhanced Na-Li countertran sport (403 +/- 49 mumolLi/l/cell/hr against 185 +/- 28 mumolLi/l/cell/ hr in those without hereditary predisposition, p<0.05) showed a signif icantly higher serum level of IgA and IgE (3.68 +/- 0.33 g/l and 127 /- 14 U/ml vs 2.61 +/- 0.33 g/l and 79 +/- 15 U/ml, respectively, in t hose without the load, p<0.01, p<0.05). An IgE level significantly cor related with the amplitude of norepinephrine vascular reactivity (r=0. 35, p<0.05). The discussion is concerned with IgE hyperproduction sign ificance. Correlating with the amplitude of vascular reactivity on sym pathetic stimuli and being independent of hypertension magnitude, this hyperproduction may underlie a high risk of atherosclerosis and vascu lar complications as a result of IgE-mediated vascular reactions in yo ung subjects with mild hypertension in hereditary loading, erythrocyti c accelerated Na-Li countertransport and lipid metabolism derangement.