RESUMO
Hypertension is a multifactorial disorder with serious complications and unknown etiology. Among potential contributors, immune dysregulation has been also proposed. The study population included 61 consecutive hypertensive patients and 55 healthy individuals of similar age and sex distribution. All study participants underwent a thorough evaluation for subclinical atherosclerosis. A full immunological profile including quantification of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) and lymphocyte subpopulations was also obtained. Immunoglobulin levels IgG, IgA and IgM and complement factor C3 were found to be significantly increased in the hypertensive compared to the HC group while a statistically significant decrease in peripheral blood CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ in hypertensive patients versus controls was detected. These findings might support a putative involvement of altered cellular and humoral immune responses in the pathogenesis of hypertension, implying a promising role for immunomodulatory strategies, already implemented in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, in the future management of hypertension.
Assuntos
Hipertensão/imunologia , Imunidade Celular/imunologia , Imunidade Humoral/imunologia , Adulto , Aterosclerose/diagnóstico por imagem , Aterosclerose/metabolismo , Autoanticorpos/imunologia , Linfócitos B/imunologia , Glicemia/metabolismo , Proteína C-Reativa/imunologia , Complexo CD3/imunologia , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/imunologia , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/imunologia , Espessura Intima-Media Carotídea , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Colesterol/metabolismo , Complemento C3/imunologia , Complemento C4/imunologia , Feminino , Homocisteína/metabolismo , Humanos , Hipertensão/metabolismo , Imunoglobulina A/imunologia , Imunoglobulina G/imunologia , Imunoglobulina M/imunologia , Interleucina-6/imunologia , Células Matadoras Naturais/imunologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fatores de Risco , Subpopulações de Linfócitos T/imunologia , Linfócitos T Citotóxicos/imunologia , Linfócitos T Auxiliares-Indutores/imunologia , Linfócitos T Reguladores/imunologia , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/imunologiaRESUMO
There is evidence that immunological factors may involved in the pathogenetic mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Few studies to date have explored the status of the humoral immune response in patients with ALS. We examined the presence of humoral immune activation in ALS patients, serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) levels were measured in 36 patients with ALS and 35 normal controls. Serum IgG, IgM and IgA levels were not significantly different in our ALS patients compared with the control group (P=ns). No correlations of serum IgG, IgM and IgA concentrations with duration, severity of the disease or the clinical form of onset (bulbar or spinal) were found in our ALS patients. Our results do not suggest a humoral immune activation in ALS patients. This does not exclude that immunological mechanisms may be involved in ALS pathogenesis.