Th17/Treg imbalance in patients with primary hyperaldosteronism and resistant hypertension.

Introduction: Inflammation plays a pivotal role in blood pressure regulation. Data on experimental models of hypertension and hypertensive patients reflect the imbalance between T regulatory (Treg) and Th17 effector cells (Th17).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to quantify peripheral blood Treg lymphocytes and Th17 subsets in individuals with primary hyperaldosteronism (PHA) and resistant hypertension (RHT) presenting with elevated blood pressure levels and augmented cardiovascular risk when compared with normotensive controls (CTRL).

Systemic and vascular inflammation in experimental allergic asthma.

Allergic asthma and atherosclerosis are inflammatory diseases characterized by similar sets of circulating inflammatory cells, in addition to mast cells in the airway and vessel wall. Animal models and human studies provide evidence of a potential interaction between the two apparently unrelated diseases. The main objective of this study was to determine whether experimental allergic asthma is accompanied by inflammatory responses, measured as the activation of the vasculature and the presence of immune cells in the perivascular adipose tissue.