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Serum Calprotectin Level as an Inflammatory Marker in Newly Diagnosed Hypertensive Patients
Nergiz Bayrakci1, Gülsüm Ozkan1, Sonat Pinar Kara2
1Tekirdag Namik Kemal University, School of Medicine, Department of Nephrology, Tekirdag, Turkey.
Insights
This study found lower serum calprotectin levels in newly diagnosed hypertension patients, contrary to the hypothesis that inflammation markers would be elevated. Further research is needed to understand calprotectin's role in hypertension.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Inflammation Research
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Hypertension is a major cause of cardiovascular mortality, linked to endothelial damage and inflammation.
- Calprotectin is an inflammatory marker associated with disease activity in various inflammatory conditions.
- Understanding inflammatory markers like calprotectin is crucial for hypertension research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serum calprotectin levels as a marker of inflammation in newly diagnosed primary hypertension.
- To evaluate the relationship between calprotectin levels and hypertension.
- To explore potential correlations with other clinical and biochemical parameters.
Main Methods:
- Included 49 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients and 38 healthy controls.
- Recorded demographic data, office blood pressure, and biochemical findings.
- Measured serum calprotectin using ELISA and analyzed determinants of hypertension.
Main Results:
- Serum calprotectin levels were significantly lower in hypertensive patients compared to controls (p=0.001).
- Lower calprotectin levels were independently associated with hypertension (β = -0.009, p=0.005).
- Calprotectin levels did not correlate with blood pressure, age, gender, or other biochemical markers in hypertensive patients.
Conclusions:
- The study's findings contradicted the hypothesis of elevated calprotectin in early hypertension.
- Further research is needed to clarify the complex relationship between calprotectin and hypertension across different disease stages.
- Molecular studies are essential to elucidate calprotectin's role in hypertension-associated inflammation.
Background:
Hypertension is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular mortality. Although the pathogenetic process involved is not yet fully understood, the disease involves endothelial damage and inflammation. Calprotectin is an inflammatory marker that rises in parallel with disease activity in conditions such as systemic inflammatory diseases, infection, and atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate inflammation through serum calprotectin levels in newly diagnosed primary hypertension patients.
Methods:
Forty-nine newly diagnosed hypertensive patients and 38 healthy adults were included in the study. Patients' office blood pressure values, biochemical findings, and demographic characteristics were recorded. Serum calprotectin levels were measured using ELISA. Parameters affecting serum calprotectin levels and determinants of hypertension were evaluated.
Results:
Serum calprotectin levels were 242.8 (72.4-524) ng/mL in the control group and 112.6 (67.4-389.8) ng/mL in the hypertensive patient group, the difference being statistically significant (p=0.001). There was no correlation between serum calprotectin levels and other parameters (blood pressure values, age, gender, serum creatinine, uric acid, and calcium levels) in the hypertensive group. A lower serum calprotectin level was found to be independently related to hypertension (β = -0.009, p=0.005). Serum calprotectin at a cutoff level of 128.6 ng/mL differentiated hypertensives from healthy controls with a sensitivity of 69.4% and specificity of 68.4% (AUC = 0.767).
Conclusions:
The results of this study were the opposite of our hypothesis that a higher calprotectin level may reflect subclinical endothelial damage in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. Further comparative studies involving patients at different stages of hypertension may contribute to clarifying the relationship between calprotectin and hypertension. We conclude that molecular studies seem essential for understanding the place of calprotectin in hypertension-associated inflammation, a complex process.
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