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Fifty-two normotensive and essential hypertensive subjects were studied. Intracellular free calcium concentration ( Ca2+i) was measured in lymphocytes (37 subjects) and platelets (18 subjects) by means of the fluorescent indicators, quin 2 and fura-2. In 31 subjects, plasma ionized calcium concentration was also measured. 2. There was a positive correlation between platelet Ca2+i and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.485, P less than 0.05), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.542, P less than 0.02) and mean blood pressure (r = 0.534, P less than 0.02). 3. No statistically significant relationship was observed between plasma ionized calcium and blood pressure. 4. No relationship was found between lymphocyte Ca2+i and blood pressure, or between lymphocyte Ca2+i and plasma ionized calcium. 5. There was no relationship between Ca2+i of lymphocytes and platelets measured simultaneously from the same subject. 6. These findings reconcile previous conflicting reports and show a relationship between platelet but not lymphocyte Ca2+i and blood pressure in man.
Pritchard et al. (1989) studied this question.