Endothelial dysfunction and serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels in patients with primary hypertension

Endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis are frequent pathologies seen amonghypertensive patients and may progressively lead to tissue ischemiaand cardiac, renal andvascular injury progressively. Vascular endothelial growth factor is multifunctional peptideinducing cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Abnormal vascular growth and increasedplasma vascular endothelial growth factor levels has been reported in hypertensivepatients. However the role of vascular endothelial growth factor in pathogenesis ofvascular injury has not been clearly established. In this study we aimed to show serumvascular endothelial growth factor levels correlate with endothelial function, serumvascular endothelial growth factor levels and vascular injury.Patients with isolated primary hypertension included in the study. Sixty six patients(34 female, 32 male, with mean age of 43,2±13,4 years) and 23 healthy controls (10 male,13 female, with mean age of 49,3±12,6 years) enrolled the study. We measured andcompared serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels and endothelial function in thesepatients. Flow mediated dilatation, plasma von Willebrand Factor, microalbuminuria,serum creatinin levels and glomerular filtration rates are measured as markers ofendothelial dysfunction.In hypertensive subjects serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels weresiginificantly lower than the control group (p<0,01). Serum vascular endothelial growthfactor levels were correlated positively with serum creatinin and negatively withglomerular filtration rate. We measured vascular endothelial growth factor levels lower inpatients with microalbuminuria but it was not statistically significant. Serum vascularendothelial growth factor levels were correlated with systolic blood pressure.In conclusion serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels correlate withsystolic blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction markers such as microalbuminuria andserum creatinin in hypertensive patients. But the importance of this relationship withclinical events needs further evaluation.Key words: Endothelial dysfunction, Hypertension, Serum Vascular Endothelial GrowthFactor.VIII