Decreased plasma levels of soluble receptor for advanced... : Journal of Hypertension (original) (raw)

Original papers: Blood vessels

Decreased plasma levels of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products in patients with essential hypertension

Geroldi, Diegoa,b; Falcone, Colombaa,c; Emanuele, Enzoa; D'Angelo, Angelab; Calcagnino, Margheritac; Buzzi, Maria Pc; Scioli, Giuseppe Ad; Fogari, Robertob

aInterdepartmental Center for Research in Molecular Medicine (CIRMC)

bDepartment of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapeutics

cDepartment of Cardiology, IRCCS San Matteo Hospital, University of Pavia, Pavia

dCenter for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases, ‘F. Veneziale’ Hospital of Isernia, Isernia, Italy

Received 14 February, 2005

Revised 10 May, 2005

Accepted 10 May, 2005

Sponsorship: This work was supported by grants from the IRCCS San Matteo Hospital and the CARIPLO Foundation.

Correspondence and requests for reprint to Professor Diego Geroldi, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapeutics, IRCCS San Matteo Hospital, University of Pavia, Piazzale Golgi 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy. Tel: +39 0382 502568; fax: +39 0382 526259; e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Objectives

Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) may cause vascular stiffening by forming crosslinks through the collagen molecule or by interaction with their cellular transductional receptor (RAGE). A secreted isoform of RAGE, termed soluble RAGE (sRAGE), may contribute to the removal/detoxification of AGE by acting as a decoy. Here we studied the plasma sRAGE levels in hypertensive and normotensive human subjects. We also investigated the relationship between blood pressure parameters and plasma sRAGE concentrations.

Design

A cross-sectional case–control study.

Setting and participants

The outpatient clinic of a university teaching hospital. Participants were 147 never-treated patients with essential hypertension (87 men and 60 women, aged 50 ± 10 years) and 177 normotensive controls (118 men and 59 women, aged 49 ± 10 years).

Main outcome measures

Plasma sRAGE levels determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure.

Results

The plasma concentration of sRAGE [median (interquartile range)] was 1206 (879–1658) pg/ml in hypertensive subjects and 1359 (999–2198) pg/ml in normotensive controls (P = 0.002). Simple correlation analysis revealed that log-transformed sRAGE levels were inversely correlated with SBP (r = −0.11; P < 0.001) and PP (r = −0.23; P < 0.001). Forward-selection multiple regression analysis revealed that log-transformed sRAGE levels were determined more strongly by PP (F = 3.127, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Plasma sRAGE levels are decreased in patients with essential hypertension and are inversely related to PP. Our results raise the possibility that sRAGE may play a role in arterial stiffening and its complications.