Circulating GPER-1, 8-Iso-Prostaglandin F₂α, and Raftlin-1 in Hypertensive Women During the Menopausal Transition:...

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is a multifactorial condition involving alterations in vascular signaling, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Women during the menopausal transition may experience increased cardiovascular risk due to hormonal fluctuations, highlighting the need for circulating biomarkers that may assist in identifying HTN-related biological changes. This study aimed to evaluate circulating biomarkers reflecting estrogen signaling, inflammation, and oxidative stress, and to assess their diagnostic accuracy in HTN. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 54 treatment-naïve hypertensive women and 30 age-matched normotensive controls, all in the menopausal transition period. Serum levels of GPER-1, 8-iso-PGF₂α, raftlin-1, and estradiol were measured using ELISA. Associations between biomarkers and body mass index (BMI) were examined using Spearman correlation. Diagnostic discrimination was examined using ROC curve analysis, and optimal cut-off points were determined using the Youden index. Results: Serum levels of GPER-1, 8-iso-PGF₂α, and raftlin-1 were significantly higher in the HTN group compared to controls, while estradiol showed a modest increase. No significant associations were found between BMI and any of the measured biomarkers within the HTN group. ROC analysis demonstrated that 8-iso-PGF₂α and raftlin-1 showed the highest diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing HTN patients from controls, followed by GPER-1, whereas estradiol showed limited diagnostic value. High sensitivity and specificity values further supported the diagnostic potential of 8-iso-PGF₂α and raftlin-1. Conclusions: These findings suggest that serum raftlin-1 and 8-iso-PGF₂α levels may serve as potential biomarkers for distinguishing hypertension in women during the menopausal transition, while GPER-1 also demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy. The lack of association with BMI suggests relative independence from adiposity-related effects. However, further validation in larger and well-characterized cohorts is required.