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Circulating microvesicles across a population with various degree of cardiovascular burden are associated with systolic blood pressure

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 37, pages 1105–1111 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Circulating microvesicles (MVs) have been studied in heterogeneous, divergent, and rather small patient populations with cardiovascular risk . Therefore, we measured endothelial (EMVs), platelet (PMVs) and erythrocyte (RMVs) MVs in patients with divergent cardiovascular risk. We then compared them to coronary artery disease (CAD) and healthy subjects and identified independent MVs’ predictors. We enrolled consecutive patients from our Cardiology, Hypertension, Diabetic, Rheumatic, and Nephrology Outpatient Units with MVs measurements. Central blood pressure (BP) was measured by either applanation tonometry or Mobil-O-graph device, while MVs by a standardized flow cytometry protocol. We studied 369 participants with increased cardiovascular risk: 63 with high cardiovascular risk (47 diabetes mellitus type II/DM and 16 end-stage renal disease/ESRD), 92 with chronic inflammatory disorders and 73 with untreated essential hypertension/UEH. We further included 53 subjects with CAD and 87 otherwise healthy individuals. All MVs were lower in patients with increased cardiovascular risk compared to CAD, showing predictive value with high sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, PMVs and EMVs were increased in patients with cardiovascular risk compared to healthy individuals. DM and ESRD patients had increased EMVs versus UEH and chronic inflammatory disorders. In the whole study population, RMVs were associated only with history of essential hypertension. In multivariate analysis, systolic BP predicted PMVs. Aage, systolic BP, and DM predicted EMVs. In a large population of patients with divergent cardiovascular risk, MVs are independently associated with systolic blood pressure.

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Fig. 1: MVs in patients with divergent cardiovascular risk compared to positive/negative controls.
Fig. 2: ROC curve analysis.
Fig. 3: MVs among patients with excess cardiovascular risk.

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Data availability

Data are immediately available upon request from the corresponding author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Eleni Gavriilaki, Antonios Lazaridis, Panagiota Anyfanti, Panagiotis Dolgyras, Barbara Nikolaidou, Anastasia Margouta & Eugenia Gkaliagkousi

  2. Hematology Laboratory, Theagenion Cancer Center, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Efthalia Yiannaki & Dimitra Markala

  3. Cardiology Department, G Papanicolaou Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Ioannis Vasileiadis & Ioannis Zarifis

  4. Department of Nephrology, Hippokration Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Maria Eleni Alexandrou & Panteleimon Sarafidis

  5. 2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Michail Doumas

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  1. Eleni Gavriilaki
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Contributions

EG designed the study, prepared and edited the manuscript. ElG designed the study, actively participated in subjects’ enrollment and manuscript preparation. AL, BN, and PA analyzed and interpreted the data and participated in manuscript preparations. IV, Am, MEA, and EY actively participated in subject’s enrollment and measurements. AT and DM participated in study design and preparation of tables and figures. IZ, PS, and MD participated in study design and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Eugenia Gkaliagkousi.

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Gavriilaki, E., Lazaridis, A., Anyfanti, P. et al. Circulating microvesicles across a population with various degree of cardiovascular burden are associated with systolic blood pressure. J Hum Hypertens 37, 1105–1111 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-023-00854-6

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