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Early cardiac gene transcript levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with untreated essential

Joanna E Kontaraki1, Maria E Marketou, Evangelos A Zacharis

  • 1Molecular Cardiology Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Crete, and Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece. kontarak@med.uoc.gr

Journal of Hypertension
|December 16, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Early cardiac gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is elevated in hypertension and correlates with blood pressure and left ventricular mass. These findings suggest potential biomarkers for hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Essential hypertension is linked to cardiac hypertrophy, a process involving complex gene regulation.
  • Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying hypertension-induced cardiac changes is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the expression of early cardiac genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with essential hypertension.
  • To explore the relationship between these gene expressions, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) parameters, and echocardiographic left ventricular mass.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR was used to determine gene transcript levels in PBMCs from 62 untreated hypertensive patients and 38 healthy controls.
  • Twenty-four-hour ABPM and echocardiography were performed on hypertensive participants.

Main Results:

  • Myocardin, GATA4, and Nkx2.5 gene transcripts were significantly upregulated in hypertensive patients compared to controls.
  • Transcript levels of myocardin and GATA4 positively correlated with 24-h systolic and mean blood pressure, and pulse pressure.
  • Myocardin and GATA4 transcript levels negatively correlated with 24-h BP dipping status and positively correlated with left ventricular mass index.

Conclusions:

  • Myocardin and GATA4 transcript levels in PBMCs may serve as potential biomarkers for hypertension, correlating with ABPM parameters.
  • Elevated early cardiac gene expression in PBMCs of hypertensive patients is associated with left ventricular mass, suggesting activation of the hypertrophic response gene network.
Abstract

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