P118 CXCL13 as a Novel Potential Biomarker of Essential Hypertension

Abstract

Background

Arterial hypertension is the main modifiable risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction contribute to arterial wall remodeling and blood pressure elevation, leading to the development of age-associated changes of cardiovascular system that limit the lifespan.

Objectives

Our aim was to explore the role of inflammatory mediators in blood pressure regulation, and to identify potential biomarkers of essential hypertension (EH) in the study group including individuals with enhanced survival (beyond 80 years).

Methods

We performed gene expression analysis in peripheral blood leukocytes of EH patients and healthy individuals using RT² Profiler PCR Array (Qiagen) in the group of 30 EH patients and 32 control subjects aged between 30 and 60 years, and 12 individuals aged between 82 and 113 years (6 EH patients, 6 normotensive controls). Next, we performed genotyping of polymorphic markers located in differentially expressed genes, and analysed associations with EH in the study group consisting of 1724 individuals aged between 30 and 108 years.

Results

In the group of middle-aged hypertensive patients, we found altered transcriptional activity of 21 gene. Relative expression level changes in EH patients were more pronounced for CXCL13 (13.8-fold), IL1F6 (12.9-fold), CD40LG (8-fold), CXCL1 (7.2-fold). In the elderly hypertensive individuals compared to healthy controls, transcriptional activity of NFKB1 and IL18R1 genes was increased (FC, fold change, 3.21 and 2.41, respectively, P<0.05). The association analysis demonstrated the association between EH and CXCL13 rs355689*C allele (OR = 0.61, P_Bonf = 5*10⁻⁴).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that CXCL13 might contribute to the development of hypertension.