Increased serum levels of immunoglobulins in untreated and treated essential hypertension. I. Relation to blood pressure.

In 164 consecutive patients with essential hypertension, serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM classes were determined, using single radial diffusion techniques, and compared with 80 healthy normotensive subjects without any family history of hypertension. Of 80 untreated and 84 treated patients, IgA and/or IgG were significantly increased in 40% and 37%, respectively. IgG correlated positively to BP in untreated patients (p less than 0.0008), as well as in insufficienctly treated males (p less than 0.004). No correlations were found between Ig and duration of hypertension. The increase in Ig was not associated with any particular drugs. A family history of hypertension was found in 19.6% of the patients with elevated Ig and in 9.7% of those with normal Ig (p less than 0.10). The study provides further evidence for involvement of immune mechanisms in essential hypertension, and suggests a possible genetic predisposition.