Method of determining volume dependent hypertension via reduction in phosphorylation

Abstract

A method of determining the presence of chronic volume dependent hypertension is provided-wherein a determination is made as to whether there has been a substantial reduction in phosphorylation of the blood-derived protein or renal proximal brush border membrane protein and if such reduction exists concluding that chronic volume dependent hypertension exists in a patient. The method may advantageously be practiced by employing blood serum or blood plasma as the body specimen containing the protein in determining whether a patient has chronic volume dependent hypertension, a cellular component of the blood, such as a blood-derived protein coming from the plasma membrane of lymphocytes. The method may include subsequent therapeutic patient treatment. Related diagnostic apparatus is also provided.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of determining the presence of chronic volume dependent hypertension in a patient comprising 
 determining if there has been a substantial reduction in phosphorylation of a blood-derived protein, and    if it is determined that such a substantial reduction exists, concluding that chronic volume dependent hypertension exists.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1    including 
 obtaining said blood-derived protein from a patient body specimen selected from the group consisting of blood serum and blood plasma.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 2    including 
 employing said method to determine the presence of chronic volume expansion hypertension in a human patient.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 2    including 
 said method not providing meaningful information regarding the presence or absence of vasoconstriction hypertension in said patient.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 1    including 
 said blood-derived protein having an Mr=72,000 Daltons.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 1    including 
 determining that chronic volume dependent hypertension exists when said substantial reduction in phosphorylation is at least about 20 percent from the range of normal patients.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 1    including 
 employing patient blood serum as a source of said blood-derived protein in effecting said determination.  
 
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 5    including 
 determining that chronic volume dependent hypertension exists when said substantial reduction in phosphorylation is a reduction of about 20 to 30 percent from the range of normal patients.  
 
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 7    including 
 employing an antibody to detect said blood-derived protein in said blood-derived protein.  
 
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 1    including 
 employing blood plasma as a source of said blood-derived protein.  
 
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 2    including 
 making said determination independently of the presence or absence of cyclic AMP.  
 
     
     
         12 . The method of    claim 1    including 
 employing as said blood-derived protein a protein obtained from a cellular element of the blood.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 2    including 
 making said determination independently of the presence or absence of other types of hypertension in said patient.  
 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus for determining the presence of chronic volume dependent hypertension in a patient comprising 
 means for receiving a patient specimen containing a blood-derived protein, and    means for determining if said blood-derived protein has substantially reduced phosphorylation as compared with the range of normal patients.    
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of    claim 14    including 
 said means for determining have means for effecting said determination from blood plasma.  
 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of    claim 14    including 
 said means for determining including antibody means.  
 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of    claim 14    including 
 said means for determining if said reduced phosphorylation is at least about 20 percent below the range of normal patients.  
 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of    claim 14    including 
 said means for determining having means for determining if said reduced phosphorylation is at least about 20 to 30 percent below the range of normal patients.  
 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of    claim 14    including 
 said means for determining having means for making said determination independent of the presence or absence of cyclic AMP.  
 
     
     
         20 . A method for determining the presence of chronic volume dependent hypertension in a patient and therapeutically treating the same comprising 
 determining if there has been a substantial reduction in phosphorylation of a specific blood-derived protein, and    if such a substantial reduction exists, treating said patient therapeutically to reduce said hypertension.    
     
     
         21 . The method of    claim 20    including 
 determining that there is a substantial reduction of phosphorylation when there is a reduction of phosphorylation of at least 20 percent from the range of normal patients.  
 
     
     
         22 . The method of    claim 21    including 
 employing as said therapeutic treating at least one of the group consisting of diuretics, antihypertensive drugs, diet control and exercise.  
 
     
     
         23 . The method of    claim 20    including 
 employing as said blood-derived protein a protein having an Mr=72,000 Daltons.  
 
     
     
         24 . The method of    claim 20    including 
 employing as said blood-derived protein a protein obtained from a cellular element of the blood.  
 
     
     
         25 . The method of claim  26  including 
 employing a lymphocyte as said cellular element.