H2S/HOMOCYSTEINE RATIO AS A POTENTIAL BIOMARKER FOR PREDICTING THE PROGRESSION OF ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN CHILDREN

Background. The H2S/homocysteine ratio is a potential biomarker for predicting the progression of cardiovascular diseases. The purpose. To establish the features of changes in the H2S/homocysteine ratio in children with arterial hypertension. Material and methods. A total of 111 children aged 14 to 18 years were examined. Based on the results of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (n=81), two groups were formed: group 1 (n=51) – children with arterial hypertension (AH), group 2 (n=30) – children with high-normal blood pressure (HNBP). Group 3 included 30 healthy children. Plasma homocysteine level was determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography [Naumov A.V. et al., 2010]. The level of endogenous hydrogen sulfide was assessed by spectrophotometric method based on the reaction between sulfide anion and an acidic solution of the reagent N, N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine hydrochloride [Norris Eric J., 2011]. Results. A significant increase in plasma homocysteine concentration was revealed in patients with AH and HNBP compared with healthy children. The plasma levels of hydrogen sulfide in children with AH were significantly lower than in the comparison group. Hypertensive children in comparison to healthy children showed significantly lower plasma H2S/homocysteine ratio. Correlations have been established between the H2S/homocysteine ratio and plasma levels of homocysteine and hydrogen sulfide. Conclusions. Hypertensive children have a lower H2S/homocysteine ratio, which is due to the presence of hyperhomocysteinemia and reduced H2S levels. The H2S/homocysteine ratio can be used as a potential marker for predicting the progression of AH.