Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Hypertension (HT) is a common serious condition associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of HT is multifactorial and has been widely investigated. Besides the vascular, hormonal, and neurological factors, inflammation plays a crucial role in HT. Many inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, cytokines, and adhesion molecules have been studied in HT, which supported the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of HT. Presepsin (PSP) is a novel biomarker of inflammation. Therefore, the potential relationship between PSP and HT was investigated in this study. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with controlled HT and 48 controls without HT were included in our study. Besides routine clinical and laboratory data, PSP levels were measured in peripheral venous blood samples from all the participants. RESULTS: PSP levels were significantly lower in patients with HT than in controls (144.98 ± 75.98 versus 176.67 ± 48.12 pg/mL, p = 0.011). PSP levels were positively correlated with hsCRP among both the patient and the control groups (p = 0.015 and p = 0.009, resp.). However, PSP levels were not correlated with WBC among both groups (p = 0.09 and p = 0.67, resp.). CONCLUSIONS: PSP levels are not elevated in patients with well-controlled HT compared to controls. This result may be associated with anti-inflammatory effects of antihypertensive medicines.