Circulating biomarkers of collagen metabolism in arterial hypertension: relevance of target organ damage.

Objective: Increasing experimental evidence indicates that alterations in the extracellular matrix are implicated in hypertension and its chronic complications. Selected markers of extracellular matrix metabolism were investigated as potential biomarkers for hypertensive remodelling and correlated with the severity and extent of target organ damage (TOD) in patients with essential hypertension.

Methods: We studied 159 consecutive patients being treated for essential hypertension.

Inflammation and apoptosis in hypertension. Relevance of the extent of target organ damage.

Introduction And Objectives: To investigate the relationship between inflammatory and apoptotic parameters and the severity and extent of target organ damage in patients with essential hypertension.

Methods: We studied 159 consecutive patients with treated essential hypertension. An exhaustive evaluation of damage to heart, kidney, and blood vessels was performed and plasma levels of inflammatory (interleukin 6 and soluble receptor of tumor necrosis factor-alpha type 2) and apoptotic markers (soluble receptor of tumor necrosis factor-alpha type 1 and soluble Fas receptor) were determined.

Carotid resistive index in treated hypertensive patients: relationship with target organ damage.

Aim: The resistive index (RI) is a hemodynamic parameter that reflects local wall extensibility and related vascular resistance. We analyze the relationship between common carotid RI and target organ damage in treated hypertensive patients.

Methods: We analyzed 265 consecutive hypertensive patients.