ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Chronic inflammation is an age-independent and body mass index-independent contributor to the development of multi-morbidity. Alterations of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system are observed within the context of proinflammatory states. We assessed circulating aldosterone, renin, and inflammatory biomarker concentrations in healthy, normotensive subjects and patients with primary aldosteronism. METHODS: We included 1177 normotensive individuals from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (first follow-up, Study of Health in Pomerania-1) and 103 primary aldosteronism patients from the German Conn's Registry. A 1:1 matching for sex, age, body mass index, smoking status, diabetes mellitus, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate was performed to determine whether primary aldosteronism patients exhibit higher inflammatory biomarker concentrations than normotensive controls. The associations of plasma aldosterone concentration or plasma renin concentration with circulating fibrinogen concentrations, white blood cell count, and high sensitive C-reactive protein concentrations in the normotensive sample were determined with multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: 1:1 matched primary aldosteronism patients demonstrated significantly (p < 0.01) higher plasma aldosterone concentration (198 vs. 47 ng/l), lower plasma renin concentration (3.1 vs. 7.7 ng/l) and higher high sensitive C-reactive protein concentrations (1.5 vs. 1.0 mg/l) than normotensive controls. Within the normotensive cohort, plasma renin concentration but not plasma aldosterone concentration was positively associated with fibrinogen concentrations and white blood cell count. Further, a J-shaped association between plasma renin concentration and high sensitive C-reactive protein concentrations was detected. CONCLUSIONS: High plasma aldosterone concentration in a primary aldosteronism cohort and high plasma renin concentration in normotensive subjects are associated with increased concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers. This suggests a link between the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and inflammatory processes in patients with primary aldosteronism and even in normotensive subjects.
