[Sodium-potassium-adenosine triphosphatase-activity in red cell ghosts of patients with essential hypertension (author's transl)].

Increased sodium concentration and high influx of Na22 are reported in erythrocytes of patients with essential hypertension. It was speculated, that these findings are due to a disturbed transport for sodium across red cell membranes. We found a significantly increased activity of the ouabainsensitive Na-K-ATP'ase in red cell ghosts of 27 patients with essential hypertension compaired with 32 normotensive controls. There existed no difference in Mg-ATP'ase-activity between the two groups. These findings suggest an increased activity of the Na-pump in red cell membranes of patients with essential hypertension.