Antihypertensive therapy increases natural immunity response in hypertensive patients

AimsThe aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of treatment of hypertension on the autoantibodies to apolipoprotein B-derived peptides (anti-ApoB-D peptide Abs) response, inflammation markers and vascular function.Main methodsEighty-eight patients with hypertension (stage 1 or 2) were recruited and advised to receive perindopril (4 mg), hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg), or indapamide (1.5 mg) for 12 weeks in a blinded fashion. Office and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24 h ABPM), flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), nitrate-induced dilatation (NID), titers of IgG and IgM anti-ApoB-D peptide Abs, hsCRP, and interleukins (IL-8 and IL-10) were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks after therapies.Key findingsAll treatments reduced office BP, and improved FMD (P < 0.05 vs. baseline). The NID was improved only in the perindopril arm (P < 0.05 vs. baseline). The 24 h-ABPM was reduced with perindopril and hydrochlorothiazide therapies (P < 0.05 vs. baseline), but not with indapamide, and this effect was followed by increase in titers of IgM Anti-ApoB-D peptide Abs (P < 0.05 vs. baseline), without modifications in titers IgG Anti-ApoB-D peptide Abs and interleukins. Multivariable regression analysis has shown that change in the titers of IgM anti-ApoB-D peptide was associated with the changes in FMD (β − 0.347; P < 0.05).SignificanceThese findings shed light to a possible modulator effect of the antihypertensive therapy on the natural immunity responses and vascular function.