Serum Copeptin Levels in Adolescents with Primary Hypertension

Background: The prevalence of hypertension continues to rise in the pediatric population. In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of reports on serum arginine vasopressin and its derivative, copeptin, in blood pressure control, but its role is still unclear. The objective of this study was to assess serum copeptin in adolescents with essential hypertension.

Methods: The study cohort consisted of 84 subjects (30 girls and 54 boys) aged 11-18 years, divided into two groups: hypertension (HT) - 53 subjects with confirmed primary hypertension and R - reference group - 31 subjects in whom hypertension was excluded on the basis of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) (white-coat hypertension). Serum copeptin concentration was measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (USCN).

Results: Hypertensive patients had higher serum copeptin levels (median, 267 [Q1-Q3: 151.1-499.7 pg/ml]) than controls (median, 107.3 [Q1-Q3: 36.7-203.4 pg/ml]), (p < 0.01). Statistically significant difference was found both in males and females. In both groups, positive correlations between serum copeptin and uric acid levels (r = 0.31, p < 0.01), albuminuria (r = 0.45, p < 0.01), serum triglycerides (r = 0.3, p < 0.05), body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS) (r = 0.24, p < 0.05) and 24-h systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = 0.37, p < 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r = 0.23, p < 0.05) were found.

Conclusions: In summary, higher serum copeptin levels, a surrogate for arginine vasopressin (AVP) release, are associated not only with systolic and diastolic blood pressure but also with several components of metabolic syndrome including obesity, elevated concentration of triglycerides, albuminuria, and serum uric acid level. However, for the time being, more research is needed in order to confirm the role of serum copeptin as a novel marker of elevated blood pressure and predictor of metabolic syndrome.