Serum profiles of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and C-Cchemokines in hypertensive patients with or without significant hyperlipidemia

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a glycoprotein that regulates the proliferation and differentiation of myeloid progenitor cells.' This factor, in addition to its growth-promoting effects, stimulat es range of functional activities of mature neutrophils, monocytes, and eos inophils, including regulation of leukocyte adhesion, superoxide anion gene ration, and enhancement or induction of cytokine production.(2) Thus, GM-CS F may contribute to the pathophysiologic events involved in atherosclerosis and inflammation.(2,3) On the other hand, C-C chemokines or chemotactic cy tokines are essential factors in the recruitment and activation of leukocyt es from the circulation into inflammed tissue, and participate in the patho genesis and progression of human atherosclerosis.(4-6) Recently, some inves tigators(7,8) have shown that circulating levels of C-C chemokines, such as macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory p rotein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha), are elevated in patients with ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure. Furthermore, it is known that conditi ons such as hyperlipidemia, smoking, and arterial hypertension negatively a ffect endothelial function and predispose to atherogenesis of human arterie s.(9,10) However, to the best of our knowledge, no in vivo data exist on GM -CSF and C-C chemokine levels in arterial hypertension and its combination with other cardiovascular risk factors. The present study investigates the differences in serum activity of GM-CSF, MCP-I, and MIP-1 alpha as markers of an atherosclerotic inflammatory process between hypertensive patients wi th and without significant hyperlipidemia and before receiving any medical treatment.