Immunological changes in patients with previous malignant essential hypertension.

Increased T-lymphocyte reactivity against human arterial antigen was significantly more common in a group of 20 patients with previously malignant essential hypertension than in matched control subjects. Serum-levels of IgG and IgM and the prevalence of autoantibodies were also significantly higher in the patients. It is suggested that these changes, whether primary or secondary, may contribute to or aggravate the vascular damage in this condition and are therefore of pathogenetic importance.