Relationship between Ang II,TGF-β_1,MMP-1,TIMP-1and left ventricular hypertrophy in patients withessential hypertension

Objective: To investigate the relationship between angiotensinⅡ(AngⅡ),transforming growth factor-beta1(TGF-β_1),matrix metalloproteinase-1(MMP-1),tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1) and left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) in patients with essential hypertension(EH).Methods: 81 patients with EH and 23 control subjects were recruited for this study.The value of LVMI of all these cases were evaluated by Dopple echocardiography.Patients were divided into NLVH group and LVH group by left ventricular mass index (LVMI).The serum levels of AngⅡ,TGF-β_1,MMP-1,TIMP-1 were measured by radioimmunoassay(RIA),sandwich assay-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and indirect-ELISA respectively.Results: The serum levels of AngⅡ,TGF-β_1,TIMP-1 in patients with EH weresignificantly higher than those of control group and the level of MMP-1 was significantly decreased,which were more apparent in LVH group.The value of LVMI waspositively correlated with the level of AngⅡ,TGF-β_1 and TIMP-1 but negatively correlated with the level of MMP-1.Conclusions: The disorder of MMP-1/TIMP-1 system may result in the metabolicdisorder of myocardium collagen and accelerate the formation of LVH.TGF-β_1 may regulate the metabolic activity of myocardium collagen by influence on the level of MMP-1.AngⅡ can also lead to LVH by increasing the expression of TGF-β_1.