The prevalence of hypertension in pediatric populations continues to rise. Recent studies suggest that renalase plays an important role in blood pressure regulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum renalase concentrations in hypertensive children. This study was a prospective cohort analysis of 88 adolescents (40 girls; 48 boys) aged 11-18 years, divided into two groups: HT-38 subjects with primary hypertension; and R (reference group)-50 subjects with normal blood pressure. Serum renalase concentration was measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Hypertensive patients had higher serum renalase levels (median 29.8 µg/mL; Q1-Q3: 26.1-35.8) than the reference group (median 26.8; Q1-Q3: 22.96-29.4, p < 0.01). Serum renalase was strongly related to serum uric acid levels. In hypertensive patients, serum renalase was positively correlated with 24-h systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 24-h diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and with 24-h SBP and 24-h DBP Z-score (LMS). Our results allow us to conclude that serum renalase correlates with blood pressure elevation. Special attention should be drawn to the correlation between renalase and serum uric acid levels not only in hypertensive, but also in normotensive teenagers. Further studies are needed to answer the question of whether increased serum renalase may be a predisposing factor to hypertension in normotensive patients with hyperuricemia.
Keywords: Blood pressure; Children; Renalase; Uric acid.