Urinary angiotensinogen level is increased in renal transplant recipients with masked hypertension and is correlated with left ventricular mass index and albuminuria in these patients

Activation of the local renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) is an independent risk factor for the development of proteinuria and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) more commonly seen in masked hypertensives. It has been reported that urinary angiotensinogen (UAGT) level provides a specific index of the intrarenal RAS status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between UAGT and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and urinary albumin‐creatinine ratio (UACR) in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) with masked hypertension (HT). A total of 116 non‐diabetic‐treated hypertensive RTRs were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups: masked hypertensives and controlled hypertensives. Forty‐two (36.2%) of RTRs had masked HT. Mean UACR and LVMI levels were higher in RTRs with masked HT than in RTRs with controlled HT (P < 0.001). UAGT level was also higher in masked hypertensives compared to controlled hypertensives (P < 0.001). Multivariable regression analysis showed that UAGT was positively correlated with UACR (β = 0.024, P = 0.001) and LVMI (β = 0.082, P = 0.001) in masked hypertensives. Consequently, masked HT was considerably frequent (36.2%) in treated hypertensive RTRs and high UAGT levels accompanied by high albuminuria and LVMI levels were seen in these patients. Overproduction of the UAGT may play a pivotal role in the development of LVH and proteinuria in masked hypertensives.