Circulation, Vol 56, 856-859, Copyright © 1977 by American Heart Association
WJ Lawton and AE Fitz
The relationship between urinary kallikrein, urinary aldosterone, and
plasma renin activity (PRA) was studied in hypertensive patients and normal
subjects. Kallikrein was measured by a radiochemical esterolytic assay.
Nine white males with normal renin, mild essential hypertension (25 +/- 5
[SD] yr; blood pressure [BP] 143 +/- 7 / 95 +/- 5 mm Hg) and six white
normal males (23 +/- 3 yr; BP 115 +/- 15 / 70 +/- 6 mm Hg) were placed on a
one-week diet consisting of 400 mEq Na+, 80 mEq K+ diet and a one week diet
of a 10 mEq Na+, 80 mEq K+ diet. During salt restriction, PRA, urinary
aldosterone, and urinary kallikrein progressively rose. (Urinary kallikrein
on day 7: normals 18.3 +/- 13.7 esterase units [EU] per 24 hr;
hypertensives 22.7 +/- 12.5 EU/24 hrs). There were no significant
differences between the normals and hypertensives in PRA, aldosterone, or
kallikrein excretion. After sodium balance was achieved, during salt
loading, the PRA, aldosterone and kallikrein values were similar in both
normals and hypertensives. (Urinary kallikrein on day 7: normals 5.0 +/-
5.2; hypertensives 7.9 +/- 4.4 EU/24 hrs.) Abnormalities in urinary
kallikrein in hypertensives were not found when young white males with
normal renin essential hypertension were compared to age-matched white male
normal subjects. PRA appears related to urinary kallikrein excretion in
this type of patient.
ARTICLES
Urinary kallikrein in normal renin essential hypertension