Evaluation of plasmatic ANP levels in subjects affected by essential arterial hypertension and in a group of patients undergoing dialysis

In the first part of this study we selected 24 hypertensive subjects (11 males, 13 females, mean age 55.4 ± 10.2 years) affected by essential arterial hypertension (EAH). Eleven people (5 males, 6 females, mean age 21.6 ± 9.5 years) had one or two hypertensive parents. Seventeen subjects (8 males, 9 females, mean age 56.4 ± 5.9 years) were the control group. Plasmatic ANP was measured using the RIA method, after extracting the peptide on Sep-Pak C18 cartridges. The results show the following ANP values: healthy control subjects 27.6 ± 8.6 pg/ml; offspring of essentially hypertensive subjects 25.6 ± 7.7 pg/ml; essentially hypertensive subjects 45.5 ± 24.9^* pg/ml ^*(P <0.005). In the second part of our study, we evaluated the plasma levels of this hormone in a group of subjects undergoing dialysis. The group consisted of 21 subjects (12 males, 9 females, mean age 63.1 ± 10.5 years), 11 of whom were affected by EAH. ANP evaluation was done during the dialysis after a "long" dialytic interval of three days. Both groups showed a noticeable increase in ANP levels, even if the hypertensive group had overall higher values (254.5 ± 134.9 pg/ml, vs. 188.7 ± 113.7 pg/ml). All subjects, after dialysis, had ANP values significantly lower than the initial ones.