Plasma tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 levels are elevated in essential hypertension and related to left ventricular hypertrophy

Abstract Background: Essential hypertensive patients have an increased heart and arterial collagen concentration. Increased collagen synthesis can be assessed using procollagen III N peptide (PIIINP) and reduced collagen degradation measured using tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). Methods: Plasma TIMP-1 and PIIINP levels were measured in 31 patients with essential hypertension and in 17 normotensive control subjects. The hypertensive patients were either treatment naive ( n = 18) or had been without treatment for 1 month ( n = 13). Both groups of patients were screened to exclude other fibrotic diseases. Results: In the hypertensive patients, TIMP-1 levels were significantly ( P P P Conclusions: The increased tissue collagen III levels found in the heart and vessels of hypertensive patients is due to a reduction in collagen degradation because of high TIMP-1 levels, rather than an increase in synthesis of collagen type III. The tissue source of this TIMP-1 is unclear.