ABSTRACTObjectiveThe study was to detect the level of tumour necrosis factor alpha(TNFα) and interleukin 6(IL6)in patients with essential hypertension(EH)before and after treatment with lovastatin. Methods 31 patients with EH were enrolled into lovastatin group,and 22 healthy volunteers into control group. PBMC(peripheral blood monocytes) were cultured in vitro and stimulated by lipopolysaccharide(LPS) and lovastatin. The concentrations of TNFα and IL6 were compared in PBMC culture supernatant. TNFα and IL6 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results① The level of TNFα and IL6 of PBMC was significantly increased in patients with EH compared with that in the control subjects (P<0.05) .②After stimulated by LPS, TNFα and IL6 had been upregulated in both groups (P<0.05),moreover TNFα and IL6 of the EH group were higher than that of control group (P<0.05).③ TNFα and IL6 were dramatically inhibited by lovastatin in both groups (P<0.05).ConclusionActivated PBMC with increased TNFα and IL6 secrection may be involved in the pathogenesis of essential hypertensive.It is possible that lovastatin therapy EH via this inflammatory pathway.