Plasma and intracellular lead concentrations in primary hypertension

Animal studies suggest that lead exposure may be associated with elevated b lood pressure. Therefore, we studied intracellular lead concentrations in l ymphocytes in 16 patients with essential hypertension and in 15 normotensiv e patients. Intracellular lead concentrations were measured by atomic absor ption spectroscopy and referred to the amount of lymphocytic protein conten t. Plasma concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy di rectly in the blood sample. Plasma lead concentrations were not significant ly different between groups (52.1 +/- 18.79 mug Pb/L in controls vs 66.6 +/ - 31.9 mug Pb/L in patients). Intra-lymphocytic lead content was 10.8 +/- 4 .9 mug Pb/g lymphocytic protein in controls and 29.7 +/- 19.8 mug Pb/g in h ypertensives (p < 0.05). Analysis of the hypertensive group showed in one s ubgroup (n = 6) lead contents of 28-81 <mu>g Pb/g lymphocytic protein. The findings suggest that among hypertensives classified as "essential" a subgr oup with a marked increase in intracellular lymphocytic lead content can be defined, in which an excessive lead load may play a pathogenic role.