ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of saline infusion test (SIT) in patients with primary aldosteronism (PHA). Methods: A total of 116 patients with PHA or essential hypertension (EH) treated in our hospital from 1994-06 to 2013-05 were retrospectively studied. The patients were divided into 2 groups: PHA group,n=72 and EH group, the patients with excluded PHA,n=44. post-SIT plasma levels of aldosterone and post-SIT ratio of aldosterone/renin activity were evaluated by ROC curve in order to analyze the diagnostic capability and the best diagnostic cut-off point. Results: The area under curve (AUC) by ROC for post-SIT aldosterone level was 0.759, the sensitivity and speciifcity were 74.6% and 63.6% respectively; AUC for post-SIT ratio of aldosterone/renin activity was 0.899, the sensitivity and speciifcity were 83.6% and 88.6% with the best diagnostic cut-off point at 111 [ng/dl:ng/(ml?h)]. Conclusion: Post-SIT plasma level of aldosterone and post-SIT ratio of aldosterone/renin activity had the diagnostic value of PHA; post-SIT ratio of aldosterone/renin activity had the higher diagnostic value of PHA.