Circadian blood pressure and renin, aldosterone, cortisol, and prolactin levels in hypertensive pseudohypoparathyroid patients.

We investigated the relation between 24-h recumbent blood pressure levels and secretory patterns of PRA, aldosterone, cortisol, and PRL in four hypertensive pesudohypoparathyroid (PsHP) males and nine age- and weight-matched males with essential hypertension. Although both groups had PRA and aldosterone circadian rhythms, the variability and concentrations of these hormones over 24 h were considerably less in PsHP patients. Plasma cortisol concentrations demonstrated a well defined circadian rhythm in both groups, with no discernable differences between the PsHP patients and the patients with essential hypertension. All patients with essential hypertension had circadian rhythms of PRL secretion, but the PsHP patients failed to demonstrate a circadian variation in PRL secretion. These results suggest that factors other than those investigated in this study are responsible for the maintenance of elevated blood pressures in PsHP patients. The absence of circadian secretion of PRL may be related to altered dopaminergic control mechanisms in PsHP patients.