Serum levels of autoantibodies against the angiotensin II type I receptor are not associated with serum dicarbonyl or AGE levels in patients with an aldosterone-producing adenoma

Patients with an aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) carry a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and commonly have high levels of autoantibodies (AT1AA) that may activate the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). AT1R activation is linked to an increase of the glucose metabolite methylglyoxal (MGO), a potential precursor of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and driver of vascular inflammation. We investigated whether serum AT1AA levels are associated with serum MGO and AGE levels in APA patients. In a case series of 26 patients with APA we measured levels of dicarbonyls MGO, glyoxal (GO) and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), and dicarbonyl-derived AGEs 5-hydro-5-methylimidazolone (MG-H1), N-epsilon-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL) and N-epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) with UPLC-MS/MS. We also measured AT1AA by ELISA. These measurements were repeated 1-month after adrenalectomy in a subset of 14 patients. Panels of inflammation and endothelial function were also measured by immunoassays. Although baseline higher AT1AA levels tended to be correlated with higher baseline serum MGO, GO and 3-DG levels (r = 0.18, p = 0.38; r = 0.20, p = 0.33; r = 0.23, p = 0.26; respectively), these correlations were not statistically significant. We observed no obvious correlations between higher AT1AA levels and protein-bound and free MG-H1, CEL and CML levels, and markers of inflammation and endothelial function. No decrease was observed in any of the dicarbonyls, protein-bound AGE levels and markers of inflammation and endothelial function after adrenalectomy. In patients with APA the serum levels of AT1AA were not significantly correlated with serum dicarbonyls, protein-bound and free AGE levels. Increased signalling of the AT1AA receptor may therefore be unlikely to overtly increase systemic dicarbonyl levels.