[Left ventricular mass, diastolic function and collagen metabolism biomarkers in essential hypertension].

Background And Objective: To evaluate the association between circulating biomarkers of collagen metabolism in serum, left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and diastolic dysfunction in patients with resistant hypertension.

Patients And Methods: Fifty-two patients with resistant hypertension and 24 healthy individuals were included. The following biomarkers of collagen metabolism were analyzed by ELISA: carboxy-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I (PICP) and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFβ1). The biomarker C-terminal telopeptide of collagen type-I (ICTP) was assayed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. In the patient's group a record of 24-h blood pressure monitoring was obtained and an echocardiography was performed. Left ventricular mass was measured according to the formula of Devereux and the diastolic function according to the relation of E and A waves and mitral propagation velocity.

Results: Hypertensive patients showed higher levels of PICP and lower levels of ICTP than controls: 83.7 (24.7) vs. 55.0 (8.7), P<.0001; and 175.0 (136.4) vs. 323.3 (121.3), P<.0001). Hypertensive patients showed a significant relationship between PICP and LVMI (r=0.631, P<.0001) and between PICP and diastolic dysfunction (r=-0.519, P<.0001). The groups with and without hypertrophy, and with or without diastolic dysfunction, differed in the mentioned peptides but not in BP values.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the analyzed markers of synthesis and degradation of collagen may be related to myocardial hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction independent of blood pressure values.