Within the boundaries of our measurements of the cortex width there was no decrease in blood pressure once the minimal kidney cortex width was 16 mm or larger.
Similarly, we have demonstrated a cubic regression between minimal kidney cortex width and blood pressure; the threshold we detected in our model, is approximately 16 mm of cortex width.
In all participants, a decrease in minimal kidney cortex width of 1 mm was related to an increase in systolic blood pressure of 1.4 mm Hg (p = 0.005).
Our findings show that a decrease of the minimal kidney cortex width of 1 mm was related to an increase in systolic blood pressure of 1.4 mm Hg.
To answer the question whether minimal kidney cortex width is related to higher blood pressure, we controlled for potentially confounding factors such as gender, age, history of smoking, diabetes mellitus, parental history of hypertension or of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy, body surface area, and blood lead level.
Grafts of 10-day-old rudiments showed minimal kidney development; fewer grafts survived, fewer tubules were formed, and fewer glomeruli developed.
Earlier, we demonstrated that kidney length and minimal cortex width in BEN offspring were significantly decreased if the mother had BEN [ 20].
Increased blood pressure was also associated with a reduction of the minimal width of the kidney cortex, but not with a reduction in kidney length.
Since we have previously reported a reduced kidney cortex width in BEN offspring [ 14], our finding that minimal cortex width is related to blood pressure is in agreement with prior reports.
For the minimal cortex width, the ICC was 0.66 (lower 5% limit: 0.58) and 0.92 for kidney length (lower limit: 0.89).
