CD146 - a novel adhesion molecule, and other markers of endothelial function in patients with essential hypertension

Abstract

Background Hypertension is associated with hemostatic abnormalities and endothelial dysfunction. A new adhesion molecule CD146 is localized on the endothelial cell junction. Impairment of fibrinolytic system is thought, as one of factors playing a role in development of thrombotic complications. Aim: CD146 concentration in patients with essential hypertension in relation to blood pressure. Additionally, we evaluated other markers of endothelial cell injury (vWF) and thrombomodulin.
Material and methods 72 patients with essential hypertension (27 untreated, 13 treated with ACEI-enalapril, 32 β-blocker, betaxolol) and 23 healthy volunteers. In every hypertensive patients ABPM and echocardiography was performed.
Results In all hypertensive patients markers of endothelial injury - TM, vWF and CD 146 were significantly higher than in healthy volunteers. In ACEI-treated patients a significantly higher vWF was observed over healthy volunteers and β-blocker-treated patients. CD146 was the highest in untreated hypertensives, it was significantly higher than in healthy volunteers and ACEI-treated patients. All hypertensives did not differ in respect to age, creatinine clearance, BMI, fibrinogen, D-dimers, glucose, lipids, echocardiographic findings. In β-blocker treated patients DBP and SBP were lower than in ACEI-treated patients. CD146 correlated with vWF and TM in untreated hypertensives, but only with TM in both groups of treated hypertensives.
Conclusions Elevated CD146 concentration, enhanced thrombin generation and endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive patients may contribute to the hypofibrinolysis and atherosclerosis progression in this population. Differences in studied parameters may be due to small sample size, monotherapy and different affect of studied drugs on serum glucose, ejection fraction, triglycerides.