Abstract:Objective To assess weather Fractalkine is involved in the impaired vascular endothelial function in primary hypertension patients. Methods Fifty primary hypertensive patients and 50 healthy volunteers were recruited. Serum Fractalkine was determined by ELISA. Plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Serum nitric oxide (NO) was determined by nitrate reductase method. Brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and non-endothelium mediated vasodilation (NMD) were determined by high-frequency ultrasonography. Thirty-eight hypertensive patients (12 of the 50 patients were excluded) received 3 months of standard antihypertensive treatment. Correlations of the Fractalkine change with the changes in NO, ADMA, FMD and systolic pressure levels before and after antihypertensive treatment were evaluated. Results Baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. Serum Fractalkine level and plasma ADMA level in the primary hypertension group were higher than those in the controls (P < 0.05). FMD and serum NO level in the primary hypertension group were lower than those in the controls (P < 0.05). Fractalkine was positively correlated with ADMA, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.785, 0.730 and 0.785,P = 0.000), but negatively correlated with NO and FMD (r = -0.800 and -0.783, P = 0.000). After antihypertensive treatment for 3 months, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, Fractalkine and ADMA levels decreased,whereas NO and FMD were improved. The decline in Fractalkine level was positively correlated with the decrase of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and ADMA, increase of FMD and NO (r = 0.720, 0.405, 0.687, 0.707and 0.726; P = 0.000, 0.012, 0.032, 0.001 and 0.001). Conclusions Fractalkine is a sensitive surrogate marker of endothelial dysfunction in primary hypertension. Antihypertensive therapy improves endothelial function in patients with essential hypertension, and decrease the serum Fractalkine level.