An Assessment of Antinuclear Antibodies and Le Cell Positivity in Essential Hypertensive Subjects

Objectives: This study is designed to assess and ascertain the serum level of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) concentration and lupus erythematosus (LE) positivity in treated and untreated hypertensive patients relative to non-hyprtensive apparently healthy individuals. Methods: This study investigated a total number of 116 subjects age between 18-70 years comprising 54 hypertensives on known anti HBP medications, 35 hypertensives not on anti HBP medications and 27 apparently healthy individuals. Blood samples were collected from patients attending the General Out-patient Department of Federal Teaching Hospital Ido-ekiti, Ekiti State Nigeria. Blood pressure was taken from the non-dominant amusing appropriate cuff size and mercury sphygmomanometer, while, blood sample was Anti-nuclear antibodies was measured using ELISA while LE cells was ascertained with Leishman-stained microscopy of defibrinated blood. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS, all values were significant at p<0.05. Results: Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed to be significantly higher in both treated and untreated essential hypertensives compared with controls (P<0.0001). Serum ANA levels were also found to be significantly higher in untreated hypertensives compared with both treated hypertensives and controls (P<0.0001). Diastolic blood pressure correlated directly with systolic blood pressure and ANA levels in untreated hypertensives (r=0.556) (r=0.318) respectively but inversely with BMI in treated hypertensives. LE cell positivity was found to be higher in untreated hypertensives having a percentage LE test positivity of 2.9% as compared to the percentage in treated hypertensives where 1.9% were positive. Conclusion: It was deduced that serum elevated ANA levels as well as LE positivity are also characteristics of essential hypertension. It was also found out that the possibility of LE positivity and ANA levels in essential hypertensives increases with weight, age and being of the female gender.