PLASMA ENDOTHELIN IN ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION AND DIABETES-MELLITUS

This study was designed to determine plasma endothelin-1 levels in pat ients with essential hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Endothelin im munoreactivity was measured in normal controls (n = 30), mild-moderate essential hypertensives (n = 25), Type II diabetic normotensives (n = 25) and hypertensive patients (n = 20). In addition, in ten patients of each group we investigated the relationships of endothelin with oth er vasoactive hormones. Plasma endothelin concentrations were similar in healthy controls, in essential hypertensives and in diabetic patien ts with or without hypertension, averaging 8.23 +/- 1.68 pg/ml, 7.7 +/ -1.1 pg/ml, 5.05 +/- 0.94 pg/ml, 7.88+/-1.41 pg/ml, respectively. No c orrelations were observed between endothelin and concentrations of pla sma renin activity, aldosterone, catecholamines, atrial natriuretic pe ptide and arginine-vasopressin. The present study suggests that Type I I diabetic patients with or without essential hypertension do not have demonstrably higher values of plasma endothelin than essential hypert ensives or healthy subjects.