[Clinical importance of determining Na-Li countertransport in patients with arterial hypertension].

Erythrocyte Na-Li countertransport was assessed in 99 patients with various arterial hypertensions. Mean Na-Li countertransport rate was 476 +/- 43 mumol/l 1 cells/hour in essential hypertension, or nearly twice as high as mean rates for hypertensive chronic diffuse glomerulonephritis, chronic pyelonephritis, renovascular hypertension and nonspecific aortoarteritis, primarily affecting extracranial arteries. In 2 patients, operated on for renal arterial stenosis, Na-Li countertransport was high and the operation had no hypotensive effect, suggesting that renal arterial stenosis was combined with essential hypertension. In 1 patient, the original diagnosis of chronic diffuse glomerulonephritis and aldosteronoma was not confirmed at surgery and renal biopsy, and the diagnosis of essential hypertension was made instead.