Peripheral blood mononuclear cell-endothelial adhesion in human hypertension following exercise

Objective To determine the effects of hypertension and exercise on interleu kin-6 (IL-6) levels and mononuclear cell adhesion to endothelial cells. Design Twelve hypertensive and 33 normotensive volunteers were studied prio r to and following exhaustive exercise, End points were stimulated IL-6 lev els and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) CD11a (LFA-1) expression a nd in vitro PBMC adhesion to human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVE C). Results In response to exercise, all subjects showed a significant increase in lymphocyte CD11a density and in IL-6 levels (P < 0.001). Compared to no rmotensives, hypertensives showed significantly greater mean density of CD1 1a on lymphocytes (P < 0.05) and on monocytes (P < 0.05), In response to ex ercise, hypertensive subjects showed a twofold greater increase in IL-6 as compared to normotensives (+ 240 pg/ml versus + 123 pg/ml, respectively; P < 0.05), PBMC adhesion to HUVEC was increased in hypertensives but decrease d in normotensives following exercise (P < 0.03), Conclusion The findings suggest that exercise leads to increased mononuclea r cell adhesion to endothelial cells in patients with hypertension, possibl y through cytokine-induced activation of mononuclear cell CD11a. These find ings, coupled with prior data indicating increased endothelial activation i n hypertension, may be relevant to the increased risk of atherosclerosis in human hypertension, (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.