Hypertensive leucocytosis

There are studies showing association of high WBC count with the higher incidence of hypertension though a few are done in the Indian population. The present study was conducted with the view to find any significant increase in total leucocyte count and differential leucocyte count in hypertensive patient Twenty-seven hypertensives with 12 males and 15 females and 27 age and sex matched control subjects (normotensive) were studied. Hypertension was defined when the systolic BP > or = 140 mmHg or diastolic BP > or = 90 mmHg or history of taking antihypertensive medicine. Three blood pressure recordings at an interval of 2 minutes were taken after the patient was made to sit for 30 minutes with a standard mercury sphygmomanometer in the left arm. The disappearance of sound was used for diastolic blood pressure. Blood was drawn into EDTA containing vials. Two separate counts were performed: First for total leucocyte count (TLC) and second for determination of percentage of polymorphonuclear cells. For the TLC, 0.5 part of blood mixed with 10 part of Turk's fluid followed by counting of leucocyte in a counting chamber under light microscope. The percentage of polymorphonuclear leucocyte was performed on a slide after making the slide and staining it with Leishman's stain. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was performed using Wintrobe's methods. The first 1 hour reading on the Wintrobe's tube was taken for analysis. The total leucocyte count (TLC) for the study group as compared to the controls were 7413.70 +/- 735.45 cells/cmm and 5236.30 +/- 528.77 cells/ cmm which was statistically significant. The mean percentage neutrophils were 62.04 +/- 4.99 for study group and 53.00 +/- 3.44 for the controls; the mean percentage lymphocytes for the study group and the controls were 34.37 +/- 4.55 and 39.11 +/- 4.40 respectively. Both the mean percentage neutrophils and lymphocytes showed significant differences. The mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) also showed statistically significant when the study group (29.63 +/- 3.76 mm in first hour) was compared to the controls (21.15 +/- 6.88 mm in first hour). In addition, when male and female hypertensive subjects were analysed separately, the TLC, neutrophil, lymphocyte and ESR levels showed significant differences as compared to their respective controls. The result has showed that there is a significant increase in inflammatory markers like TLC and neutrophils counts in hypertensive patients suggestive of hypertension as an inflammatory disease.