Significato clinico delle anomalie di secrezione reninica nella ipertensione arteriosa.

Aim of the present investigation is to define the clinical meaning of disorders in renin secretion in the field of vascular hypertensive diseases. In view of this scope, we report the results of a retrospective study on the levels of plasma renin activity assayed in renal veins, aorta and peripheral vein of 124 hypertensive, angiographically studied for a diagnostic work-up. The behavior of renal vein renin has been related to epidemiologic, clinical and etiopathogenetic factors. Results indicate that disorders in renin secretion occur in every type of arterial hypertension. However, some disorders are prevalent in a determined type of hypertensive disease. The incidence of disorders in renin secretion is different in relation to sex, age and duration of hypertension. Hypersecretion is prevalent in men and young hypertensives, while hyposecretion of renin is more frequent in the oldest hypertensive patients. Vascular damage is prevalent in men and young hypertensives, while hyposecretion of renin is more frequent in the oldest hypertensive patients. Vascular damage is prevalent in renin hyposecretive hypertensives. Hypersecretion and lateralization in renin release can be mainly encountered in the renovascular type of hypertension and, less frequently, in unilateral nephroparenchymal hypertension. However, totally lateralized hypersecretion can be detected even in essential hypertensive patients suggesting the possibility of false positives for the diagnosis of renovascular hypertension.