Effect of granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis on urinary albumin excretion and plasma endothelin-1 concentration in patients with active ulcerative colitis.

Background/aim: Increases in microalbuminuria and endothelin (ET-1) are involved in the development of ulcerative colitis (UC) and in its progress. Because granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis has proven to be useful in the treatment of UC, we examined whether urinary albumin excretion and plasma ET-1 concentrations are altered and whether granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis affects the concentrations of these two factors in patients with active UC.

Methods: Twenty patients with active UC and 20 age-matched healthy volunteers (our hospital staffs) were included in this study.

Nicotinamide suppresses hyperphosphatemia in hemodialysis patients.

Background: The use of calcium- or aluminum-based phosphate binders against hyperphosphatemia is limited by the adverse effects of hypercalcemia or aluminum toxicity in long-term hemodialysis. Because nicotinamide is an inhibitor of sodium-dependent phosphate cotransport in rat renal tubule and small intestine, we examined whether nicotinamide reduces serum levels of phosphorus and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods: Sixty-five hemodialysis patients with a serum phosphorus level of more than 6.

Arteriovenous graft featuring end-to-end anastomosis to a deep vein for hemodialysis.

We describe a new vascular access grafting technique featuring end-to-end anastomosis to a deep vein in the forearm, designed to create a functional arteriovenous fistula in the forearm of patients whose subcutaneous veins are not usable for this purpose because of occlusion or attenuation. This new technique offers a valuable option in this setting.

New method to create a vascular arteriovenous fistula in the arm with an endoscopic technique.

We describe a new technique in which the basilic vein is transposed subcutaneously with endoscopic surgery to create a vascular access in the arm. The vein was harvested with the Endoscopic Vascular Surgery System (Olympus Co, Tokyo, Japan). We could harvest a vessel about 25 cm long with endoscopy.

[A case with secondary hyperparathyroidism suggesting the direct suppressive effect of maxacalcitol on osteoblasts].

The direct effect of vitamin D on osteoblasts in secondary hyperparathyroidism(2 degrees HPT) is not necessarily obvious. We found an unusual hemodialyzed patient without any response to oral calcitriol pulse therapy(4 micrograms x 2/week), and who was administered maxacalcitol at a dose of up to 15 micrograms x 3/week for 28 months. Plasma intact parathyroid hormone(PTH) was not suppressed from the initial level of 1,773 pg/ml to 2,100 pg/ml.

Effect of dilazep dihydrochloride on serum cardiac troponin T levels in hemodialysis patients.

Background/aim: Cardiac troponin T is a highly sensitive marker for the detection of myocardial injury. We studied whether dilazep dihydrochloride affects cardiac troponin T levels in hemodialysis patients.

Methods: Our study included 60 hemodialysis patients without symptoms of acute myocardial ischemia.