Endothelin-1 in hypertensive patients with ischemic heart disease

This study was aimed at evaluating whether transient dipyridamole-induced myocardial ischemia in hypertensive patients reflects on endothelin-1 plasma levels by comparing normotensives and hypertensives with or without stable angina. Endothelin-1 plasma levels were assessed in baseline conditions and after provocative stress test by dipyridamole. Four groups of ten age- and sex-matched subjects were retrospectively considered among patients referred for chest pain evaluation and submitted to high-dose Dipyridamole Echocardiographic-Scintigraphic combined test (DES). On the basis of DES results we considered: (1) control normotensives subjects; (2) essential hypertensives (for both groups negative result of DES); (3) essential hypertensives with stable angina; and (4) normotensives with stable angina (for both groups concordant DES detection of myocardial ischemia). Our data showed a marked post-DES increase of endothelin-1 plasma levels in hypertensives with stable angina (mean levels = 16.50 +/- 4.19 pg/ml p < 0.001 vs. baseline = 9.05 +/- 1.37 pg/ml) and a minor increase in stable angina pts (mean levels = 8.3 +/- 1.75 pg/ml p < 0.01 vs. baseline = 6.74 +/- 0.61 pg/ml) whereas non significant increase was observed both in control (mean levels = 5.09 +/- 0.83 pg/ml p = n.s. vs. baseline = 4.91 +/- 1.04 pg/ml) and hypertensives groups (mean levels = 6.34 +/- 1.72 pg/ml p = n.s. vs. baseline = 5.95 +/- 1.04 pg/ml). ET-1 involvement in hypertension-related ischemic heart disease patho-physiology appears to be considered.