Reduced number of erythrocyte sodium pump units in essential hypertension

The number of sodium pump units of erythrocytes measured with ouabain binding assay was significantly lower in 17 patients with essential hypertension (0.538 +/- 0.020 pmol/10(9) cells) than in 13 normotensive controls (0.673 +/- 0.031 pmol/10(9) cells) (p less than 0.01) and it was inversely correlated with erythrocyte sodium concentration (r = -0.86, p less than 0.01).