[Research Progress of Immunity Mechanism in Hypertension]

Hypertension, which can cause a variety of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications, is a serious threat to human health. Currently, it is found that hypertension is related to immunoregulatory abnormality, which could lead to chronic inflammation. Then the chronic inflammation may impair vascular endothelial function and activate renin-angiotensin system, which cause vascular remodeling, angiosclerosis, dysfunctional vasoconstriction and vasodilatation, and exacerbate hypertension. The immunoregulatory abnormality of hypertension involves macrophage infiltration of the organization, the dendritic cell of antigen presentation and natural killer cells of activation in nonspecific immunity and activation of T cells in specific immune. The key of immunity mechanism of hypertension is the Toll like receptor to activate immune system and lead to inflammation. Autonomic nervous system is also closely related to the development and progression of hypertension. Autonomic imbalance in hypertension leads to immunoregulatory abnormality, cardiovascular injury, and dysfunctional vasoconstriction and vasodilatation, which ultimately results in exacerbation of hypertension. Therefore, research on neuro-immune regulation will help to provide novel strategies for therapy of hypertension. In this review, we will provide an overview of the research progress of the immunity mechanism of hypertension and the regulation of immune system by the autonomic nervous system.