Science

Emory Study Links Hypertension to an Immune Response

March 11th, 2012

Stress in some people can elevate blood pressure.

Now, Emory researchers have found evidence that the spike in blood pressure could be an immune response—triggered by white blood cells known a “T-Cells.”

To better understand the relationship, scientists stuck a group of mice in small cells where other mice had left their scents. That stressed out the little creatures—big time. Their blood pressures went up.

Dr. Paul Marvar is an Emory researcher. He explains scientists got very different results when they changed one thing.

“We repeated the stress study in animals that lacked these particular immune cells.”

The mice were genetically engineered to have no T-cells.

“Then we exposed them to the same stressors, and found that the previous elevation of blood pressure was absent.”

These mice had no spike in blood pressure. They were cozy and care-free.

Marvar says there’s a long way to go before scientists can control immune response in humans to reduce blood pressure.

But the mice study provides some guidance for that end goal.

The results are published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.