Preserved endothelial progenitor cell angiogenic activity in African American essential hypertensive patients

African American (AA) subjects with essential hypertension (EH) have greater inflammation and cardiovascular complications than Caucasian EH. An impaired endogenous cellular repair system may exacerbate vascular injury in hypertension, yet whether these differ between AA EH and Caucasian EH remains unknown. Vascular repair by circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) is controlled by regulators of EPC mobilization, homing, adhesion and new vessel formation, but can be hindered by various cytokines. We hypothesized that EPC levels and function would be impaired in AA EH compared with Caucasian EH, in association with increased levels of inflammatory mediators and EPC regulators.