Influence of family history of cryptogenic hypertension, age, sex and race on lymphocyte sodium/potassium pumps.

To determine the effects of age, sex, race, and family history of hypertension on cellular cation transport, we measured specific tritiated-ouabain binding (sodium/potassium pump number), and sodium/potassium pump-mediated rubidium-86 uptake in blood lymphocytes from 105 healthy normotensive adults, comprising 23 Chinese and 19 Indian subjects who had first-degree relatives with cryptogenic hypertension, and 40 Chinese and 23 Indian matched subjects without such history. Both Chinese and Indian subjects with family history had significantly fewer sodium/potassium pumps than control subjects. Sodium/potassium pump-mediated rubidium-86 uptake was similar in these four subject groups. Seven Indian patients with untreated cryptogenic hypertension had fewer sodium/potassium pumps than normotensive Indians without family history. Age did not affect sodium/potassium pump numbers in cells from normotensive subjects. In normotensive subjects without family history. Chinese women had more sodium/potassium pumps than Chinese men, but Indian subjects did not show this pattern. We conclude that a family history of cryptogenic hypertension is associated with fewer lymphocyte sodium/potassium pumps than normal. The reduction in cellular pump number might be only a marker, or an epiphenomenon. However, the reduction in pump number might contribute to the pathogenesis of cryptogenic hypertension if it produces sodium retention in renal tubular or peripheral vascular cells.