Serum Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor Levels in Resistant Hypertension

Background: Although the precise pathogenetic mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated, hypertension is characterized by endothelial damage and inflammation. The soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is an inflammatory biomarker that increases in parallel with disease activity in conditions such as systemic inflammation, infection, cancer, and atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to assess inflammation by means of serum suPAR levels in hypertensive patients and those with resistant hypertension.

Methods: Eighty-six adults, 29 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients (HT group) and 23 resistant hypertensive patients (RHT group) and 34 healthy controls, were included in this cross-sectional, observational study. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring results were included in the analysis. Serum suPAR levels were measured using Enzyme-Linked ImmonuSorbent Assay ( ELISA). Patients were divided into 2 groups as “high suPAR” and “low suPAR.”

Results: The serum suPAR level was lower in the control group than that of the HT and RHT groups (P = .001). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were positively correlated with the serum suPAR level (r = 0.254, P = .018; r = 0.239, P = .027, respectively). Being in the high-suPAR group was found to increase the risk of RHT by 19.5 times. Other risk factors for RHT were found to be lower urinary sodium excretion and higher urinary albumin excretion [odds ratio (OR) = 0.98; OR = 1.09, respectively].

Conclusion: In our study, suPAR levels were found associated with RHT. To our best knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the relationship between serum suPAR levels and RHT.

Cite this article as: Bayrakcı N, Özkan G, Pınar Kara S, Yılmaz A, Çelikkol A. Serum soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor levels in resistant hypertension. Turk J Nephrol. 2024;33(2):173-178.