Determination of Chemerin levels in patients with hypertension

Chemerin: Determination of chemerin levels in hypertension patients Introduction and Objective: Although the components of metabolic syndrome have been largely defined, blood pressure control achieved through antihypertensive treatment does not always sufficiently reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (1). This raises the possibility that there may be as yet unidentified underlying factors in hypertension or accompanying pathological processes. Therefore, the early identification of inflammatory factors and the elucidation of their mechanisms are of great importance. In patients with hypertension, increased levels of inflammatory markers such as CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 cytokines, as well as certain chemical substances (chemoattractant proteins) that attract monocytes, have been detected (2). It is thought that cytokines released during inflammation cause structural changes in endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells, leading to high blood pressure. A limited number of clinical studies on chemerin and hypertension have been reported. Although plasma levels of chemerin have been found to be strongly associated with blood pressure, it remains unclear whether chemerin is part of this syndrome in blood pressure control among healthy subjects and patients with metabolic syndrome (3). It is necessary to investigate the relationship between chemerin—an independent risk factor for hypertension—and metabolic conditions or the link between inflammation and hypertension. However, information on whether plasma/serum levels of chemerin alter blood pressure is limited. This study specifically aims to determine whether chemerin causes pathological changes and to understand the relationship between chemerin and blood pressure. Information on whether plasma/serum levels of chemerin alter blood pressure is limited. This study aims to determine the role of chemerin in pathological changes and to demonstrate its effect on blood pressure. Therefore, in this research, we compared chemerin levels in patients with hypertension—a group in which chemerin levels have been scarcely studied in the literature—with those in healthy volunteers. This case-control study was conducted to evaluate whether chemerin could serve as a potential biomarker in the follow-up of patients with hypertension and to shed light on the etiology of the disease. Materials and Methods: This study included 31 patients with hypertension, aged 18–65, who had adequate orientation and cooperation and gave consent to participate, along with a xii control group of 33 healthy volunteers with similar demographic characteristics who had no diagnosis of hypertension or any other disease. Participants were recruited between 01.05.2024 and 01.07.2024 from the Internal Medicine and Nephrology outpatient clinics of Adıyaman University, Adıyaman Training and Research Hospital. Individuals with a prior diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, secondary hypertension, pregnancy or lactation, those diagnosed with hypertension but not attending regular followup visits or who initiated follow-up at another healthcare facility, and those with chronic ischemic heart disease were excluded from the study. In the study, detailed medical histories of the participants were obtained, and physical examinations were performed. Information from the electronic database was reviewed, and their medications, medical histories, previous examinations, and possible diagnoses were recorded. After 8–12 hours of fasting, venous blood samples were collected from the antecubital region of all participants in the morning to determine levels of urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, complete blood count, and chemerin. The collected samples were analyzed in the Biochemistry Laboratory of Adıyaman Training and Research Hospital, and all data were recorded. Findings: Upon examining the findings, it was observed that the variables Age, CRP, AST, ALT, Urea, PLT, and ESR were statistically significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group. Furthermore, when the relationship between Age and Chemerin was analyzed, a statistically significant moderate negative correlation was found in the control group (p = 0.019; r = –0.405), whereas no statistically significant association was observed in the patient group (p = 0.339; r = 0.178). In other words, in the control group, chemerin levels decreased as the age of the cases increased. Conclusion: This study demonstrated significant increases in CRP, AST, ALT, and ESR levels in patients with hypertension, but no statistically significant difference in chemerin levels. The results suggest that chemerin may not play a decisive role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. While these findings support inflammation as an important factor in hypertension, they also indicate that the role of chemerin warrants further investigation. Keywords: Chemerin, blood pressure, inflammation