There remains a dearth of data regarding the association between chronic inflammation and hypertension (HTN) in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that accounts for >70% of the global burden of HIV infection. Therefore, we assessed the levels of biomarkers among HIV+ individuals and its associations with HTN in Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted at one of the largest clinics in Tanzania and data from 261 HIV+ patients were analyzed. Standardized tools were used to collect data. Blood pressure was measured using Omron^® M2 blood pressure monitor. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to test for inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-18, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type I (sTNFRI), sTNFRII]. Bivariate and multivariable analysis was conducted to examine association between the biomarkers and HTN. We further conducted age–sex–alcohol-adjusted models to control for any confounders. The prevalence of HTN was 43% with a high prevalence reported in female (70%) participants and those older than 55 years of age (77%). Being women, older than 55 years of age, married, and being overweight was associated with HTN. The highest correlations were observed between TNR2 and CRP (ɤ = 0.13, P = 0.044), and TNR2 and IL-18 (ɤ = 0.13, P = 0.034). Participants who had elevated CRP levels were 2 times more likely to experience HTN in the age-adjusted model [odds ratio (OR) = 3.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1–11.3], age–sex-adjusted model (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.0–10.9), and the full model (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 0.8–10.0). Our study shows that high CRP levels are significantly associated with the higher prevalence of HTN notwithstanding all other markers, which showed a positive association with HTN despite not being significant. These findings point to the importance of creating awareness, education, and screening for HTN among HIV patients in high epidemic countries. More rigorous studies are needed to know the exact pathway mechanisms of inflammation in HIV patients.

中文翻译：

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坦桑尼亚 HIV 感染患者的高血压和相关炎症标志物

在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，慢性炎症与高血压 (HTN) 之间的关系仍然缺乏相关数据，该地区占全球 HIV 感染负担的 70% 以上。因此，我们评估了坦桑尼亚 HIV+ 个体的生物标志物水平及其与 HTN 的关系。在坦桑尼亚最大的诊所之一进行了一项横断面研究，分析了来自 261 名 HIV+ 患者的数据。标准化工具用于收集数据。^{使用 Omron ®}测量血压M2 血压计。酶联免疫吸附试验用于检测炎症标志物 [C 反应蛋白 (CRP)、白细胞介素 (IL)-6、IL-18、I 型可溶性肿瘤坏死因子受体 (sTNFRI)、sTNFRII]。进行双变量和多变量分析以检查生物标志物与HTN之间的关联。我们进一步进行了年龄-性别-酒精调整模型来控制任何混杂因素。HTN 的患病率为 43%，其中女性 (70%) 和 55 岁以上的参与者 (77%) 的患病率较高。女性、55 岁以上、已婚和超重与 HTN 相关。在 TNR2 和 CRP (ɤ = 0.13, P  = 0.044) 以及 TNR2 和 IL-18 (ɤ = 0.13, P = 0.034)。在年龄调整模型 [优势比 (OR) = 3.5, 95% 置信区间 (CI) = 1.1–11.3]、年龄-性别调整模型 (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.0–10.9) 和完整模型 (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 0.8–10.0)。我们的研究表明，尽管有所有其他标志物，高 CRP 水平与 HTN 的较高患病率显着相关，这与 HTN 呈正相关，尽管并不显着。这些发现指出了在高流行国家的 HIV 患者中提高对 HTN 的认识、教育和筛查的重要性。需要更严格的研究来了解 HIV 患者炎症的确切途径机制。