Water and Electrolyte Content in Hypertension in the Skin (WHYSKI) in Primary Aldosteronism.

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA), the most common curable salt-dependent form of arterial hypertension, features renal K loss and enhanced Na reabsorption. We investigated whether the electrolyte, water, and TonEBP (tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein)/ (nuclear factor of activated T cells 5) content is altered in the skin of patients with PA and corrected by surgical cure.

Methods: We obtained skin biopsies from 80 subjects: 49 consecutive patients with PA, optimally treated with a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist; 6 essential hypertensives; and 25 normotensive controls.