Endothelium-derived factors in microalbuminuric and nonmicroalbuminuric essential hypertensives

Previous evidence has demonstrated a relationship between growth factors an d cardiovascular diseases. This study was aimed at evaluating levels of som e endothelium-derived growth factors, and their relationship with microalbu minuria (MAU), in essential hypertension. Ninety-nine mild-moderate essenti al hypertensives (EH) and 25 healthy controls were studied. All patients un derwent 24-h blood pressure monitoring, serum endothelin-1 (ET-1), basic fi broblast growth factor (bFGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), an d 24-h MAU assays. Later, EH were divided into two subsets consisting of mi croalbuminurics (MAU >11 mu g/min) and nonmicroalbuminurics (MAU <11 mu g/m in). In microalbuminuric EH, circulating ET-1, bFGF, and PDGF were signific antly higher than in nonmicroalbuminurics (P < .0001, P < .0001, P < .005, respectively) or in controls. In the group of 99 EH, significant positive c orrelations of A IAU with both ET-1 and bFGF (r = 0.35, P < .001, and r = 0 .34, P < .001, respectively) were found. ET-1 and bFGF correlated significa ntly (r = 0.31, P < .002). Circulating bFGF also correlated significantly w ith MAU in the microalbuminuric EH subset (r = 0.49, P < .01). Our results show that in microalbuminuric EH circulating levels of certain growth facto rs are increased. Ln human essential hypertension these factors are linked with MAU, an early cardiovascular and renal damage marker. (C) 2000 America n Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.