Identification of angiotensinogenic hypertension in man using 1-sar-8-ala-angiotensin II (Saralasin, P-113).

Peripheral plasma renin activity (PRA) is not invariably elevated in patients whose ischemic renal lesion is causing hypertension. Infusions of an angiotensin II antagonist, 1-sar-8-ala-angiotensin II (P-113), have been used to determine whether the blood pressure responses might indicate angiotensin dependence in 221 consecutive hypertensive patients. In 32 patients P-113 infusion reversibly reduced blood pressure, and almost all of these "P-113 responders" had elevated renal vein and/or peripheral PRA levels, together with evidence of renal ischemia. Among the 189 "P-113 nonresponders," peripheral PRA was elevated in seven (3.8%), and renal vein PRA ratio was abnormal in two patients, who might represent exceptions to the otherwise successful record of the P-113 response in identifying "angiotensinoginic" hypertensives.