Abstract
Background. Limited data exist regarding endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vasoactive contributor in vascular tone, in a population subjected to early vascular deterioration. We compared ET-1 levels and explored its association with markers of arterial stiffness in black and white South Africans. Methodology. This cross-sectional substudy included 195 black (men: n = 99; women: n = 95) and 197 white (men: n = 99; women: n = 98) South Africans. Serum ET-1 levels were measured as well as markers of arterial stiffness (blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, and arterial compliance). ET-1 levels were higher in black men and white women compared to their counterparts after adjusting for C-reactive protein. In both single and partial (adjusting for body mass index and gamma glutamyl transferase) regression analyses ET-1 correlated with age, interleukin-6, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and pulse wave velocity in black women. In multivariate regression analyses the independent association of ET-1 with systolic blood pressure (Adj. R 2 = 0.13; β = 0.28, p < 0.01) and pulse pressure (Adj. R 2 = 0.11; β = 0.27, p < 0.01) was confirmed in black women only. ET-1 additionally associated with interleukin-6 in black women (p < 0.01). Conclusion. Our result suggests that ET-1 and its link with subclinical arteriosclerosis are potentially driven by low-grade inflammation as depicted by the association with interleukin-6 in the black female cohort.
Highlights
The high incidence of hypertension and development of early vascular deterioration among the black population remains to be elucidated [1,2,3]
It was previously shown that the black population are predisposed to early vascular alterations compared to white individuals Ergul et al [19,20,21]; limited information is available on the link between ET-1 and arterial stiffness within a biethnic South African population
Our results indicated an independent association of ET-1 with systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure in black women only
Summary
The high incidence of hypertension and development of early vascular deterioration among the black population remains to be elucidated [1,2,3]. Experimental studies demonstrated that higher ET-1 levels associated with aging may contribute to vascular endothelial dysfunction [10,11,12,13]. We compared ET-1 levels and explored its association with markers of arterial stiffness in black and white South Africans. ET-1 levels were higher in black men and white women compared to their counterparts after adjusting for C-reactive protein. In both single and partial (adjusting for body mass index and gamma glutamyl transferase) regression analyses ET-1 correlated with age, interleukin-6, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and pulse wave velocity in black women. Our result suggests that ET-1 and its link with subclinical arteriosclerosis are potentially driven by low-grade inflammation as depicted by the association with interleukin-6 in the black female cohort
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