SERUM CALPROTECTIN AND CRP: A POSITIVE PROGNOSTIC DETERMINANT IN NEWLY DIAGNOSED PRIMARY HYPERTENSION

*Dr. Kanwal, Dr. Vishal, Dr. FNU Sahrish, Dr. Sumeet Kumar, Dr. Meena Kumari, Dr. Berkha, Dr. Vijay

ABSTRACT

Background: The most common cause of cardiovascular death is hypertension. Endothelial damage and inflammation are two hallmarks of the illness, which is still not completely understood. Systemic inflammatory disorders, infection, and atherosclerosis all increase the level of calprotectin in the bloodstream. Aim: Serum calprotectin levels were measured to assess inflammation in individuals with newly diagnosed primary hypertension. Design: Cross sectional study. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving fifty newly diagnosed hypertensive patients and fifty healthy adults after following inclusion criterion. Each patient's blood pressure, metabolic data, and demographic information were collected. Calprotectin levels in the blood were measured using an ELISA KIT. Assessment of the variables that influence serum calprotectin levels as well as the risk factors for hypertension was performed. Analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. A Chi-square test with a significance level of less than or equal to 0.05 was carried out. Results: Out of 100 patients enrolled, the difference between the control group's serum calprotectin levels of 239.8 ng/mL and the hypertensive patient group's levels of 97.6 ng/mL was statistically significant. The control group's levels were higher. (p =0.001). There is no association between serum calprotectin levels and age, gender, or BMI in the group of people who have hypertension. A decreased blood calprotectin level was shown to be independently associated to mean systolic blood pressure (r value=-.485**) (p = 0.001). Serum calprotectin at 131.9 ng/mL differentiated hypertensives from healthy controls with 71.2% sensitivity and 81.1% specificity. (AUC= 0.767). Conclusion: The findings of this investigation contradicted our hypothesis that an elevated calprotectin level in newly diagnosed hypertension individuals indicates inflammatory processes at the cellular level. Studies on individuals at varying stages of hypertension may provide light on the association between hypertension and calprotectin. Calprotectin's role in hypertension-related inflammation is a complicated one, and molecular research is needed to comprehend it.

Keywords: Primary hypertension, Calprotectin, inflammation.