context: Previous evidence has demonstrated a relationship between growth factors and @entity2 . This study was aimed at evaluating levels of some endothelium-derived growth factors, and their relationship with microalbuminuria (MAU), in essential @entity3 . Ninety-nine mild-moderate essential @entity3 (EH) and 25 healthy controls were studied. All @entity0 underwent 24-h blood pressure monitoring, serum @entity5 ( @entity5 ), @entity4 ( @entity4 ) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and 24-h MAU assays. Later, EH were divided into two subsets consisting of microalbuminurics (MAU >11 microg/min) and nonmicroalbuminurics (MAU <11 microg/min). In microalbuminuric EH, circulating @entity5 , @entity4 , and PDGF were significantly higher than in nonmicroalbuminurics (P < .0001, P < .0001, P < .005, respectively) or in controls. In the group of 99 EH, significant positive correlations of MAU with both @entity5 and @entity4 (r = 0.35, P < .001, and r = 0.34, P < .001, respectively) were found. @entity5 and @entity4 correlated significantly (r = 0.31, P < .002). Circulating @entity4 also correlated significantly with MAU in the microalbuminuric EH subset (r = 0.49, P < .01). Our results show that in microalbuminuric EH circulating levels of certain growth factors are increased. In @entity0 essential @entity3 these factors are linked with MAU, an early @entity1 marker.
  