The assessment of C-reactive protein concentration in serum of patients with hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia

Abstract

Background Currently, the opinion that endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory process influences the development of hypertension is widely accepted. The aim of this work was to evaluate the concentration of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and to investigate the relationship between hsCRP level and hyperhomocysteinemia in serum of hypertensive patients.
Material and methods The survey was carried out in hsCRP sample of 56 patients with hypertension. The control group consisted of 38 subjects found to be healthy. The homocysteine concentration in the serum was measured with immune-fluorescent method (FPIA), with the use of Abbott tests. The levels of hsCRP were assessed by immune-turbidimetric assay based on the Siemens tests.
Results Our research has shown that the average plasma concentration of homocysteine is 10.70 μmol/l in patients with primary hypertension and 9.60 μmol/l in healthy subjects. The average plasma concentration of hsCRP in patients with primary hypertension is statistically higher in comparison to the control group (2.93 vs. 1.55 mg/l). Patients with hyperhomocysteinemia showed higher concentrations of hsCRP than healthy subjects and patients with normohomocysteinemia. However, the correlation between the C-reactive protein concentration and the homocysteine level is not statistically significant.
Conclusion The elevated levels of serum hsCRP concentration in patients with primary hypertension suggest the inflammatory process developing in the blood vessels’ walls. That process is more intensive in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia because they have higher serum level of C-reactive protein.