Abstract:
Abstract.The aim of the study was to determine the associations between the plasma level of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in patients with stage II hypertension and parameters obtained by instrumental diagnostic methods. A total of 120 patients with stage II hypertension, with and/or without concomitant chronic coronary artery disease and frequent ventricular premature beats, were examined. All participants underwent echocardiography, and cardiac rhythm disturbances were assessed using Holter electrocardiographic monitoring. Chronic coronary artery disease was diagnosed using stress testing and/or coronary ventriculography. Four patient groups were distinguished: Group 1 (n = 30) – stage II hypertension without concomitant chronic coronary artery disease or frequent ventricular premature beats; Group 2 (n = 30) – stage II hypertension with concomitant frequent ventricular premature beats; Group 3 (n = 30) – stage II hypertension with concomitant chronic coronary artery disease; Group 4 (n = 30) – stage II hypertension with concomitant chronic coronary artery disease and frequent ventricular premature beats. The serum TGF-β1 level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using the commercial Human TGF-β1 (Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1) ELISA Kit (Elabscience Biotechnology Inc., USA). The median value (222 pg/mL) was used to define groups with relatively low (≤222 pg/mL) and relatively high (>222 pg/mL) marker levels. The results were analyzed using methods of variation statistics with Microsoft Excel (2019) and Statistica 12.0 (StatSoft, USA). It was found that a high plasma TGF-β1 level was associated with an increased mean nocturnal heart rate and a decreased circadian index, a significant increase in the number of cases and the daily count of recorded supraventricular premature beats, an increase in the number of cases and the daily and hourly counts of frequent ventricular premature beats, an increased number of cases of polytopic ventricular premature beats, and episodes of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia according to Holter monitoring. A marker level >222 pg/mL was associated with a higher prevalence of concomitant chronic coronary artery disease and obstructive chronic coronary artery disease, as well as a trend toward more severe coronary artery lesions based on coronary ventriculography. It was also demonstrated that a TGF-β1 level >222 pg/mL was associated with a reduced relative wall thickness of the left ventricle, a significant decrease in the frequency of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy and an increase in eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy, as well as an increased frequency of instrumentally detected aortic valve calcification on echocardiography.
