Validation of the blood pressure measurement device Beurer BM 28 according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol revision 2010.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to validate the blood pressure (BP) monitor Beurer BM 28 according to the International Protocol of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH-IP) revision 2010.

Methods: In 33 subjects of age 27-81 years, BP measurements were performed according to the ESH-IP protocol, which alternates reference mercury sphygmomanometer and device-under-test (Beurer BM 28) measurements, resulting in a total of 99 comparisons.

Results: As to part 1 of the protocol, an absolute difference within 5 mmHg between the Beurer BM 28 and the test device was found in 83 out of 99 comparisons for the SBP and 82 out of 99 comparisons for the DBP.

Validation of the Microlife BP B3 AFIB upper arm blood pressure monitor in adults and adolescents according to the ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060-2:2019 protocol.

Objective: Aim of this study was to validate the Microlife BP B3 AFIB/enterprise resource planning (ERP) No: BP3KT1-3 N blood pressure (BP) monitor according to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)/International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 81060-2:2019 in adolescents and adults from a general population.

Methods: BP measurements on the upper arm were performed in 85 subjects (age range 12-88 years), using the Microlife BP B3 AFIB and a standard mercury reference sphygmomanometer.

Results: A total of 255 valid BP comparisons were performed for the present validation analysis.

Gender differences in aortic valve replacement: is surgical aortic valve replacement riskier and transcatheter aortic valve replacement safer in women than in men?

Aortic stenosis (AS) is a progressive and degenerative disease that necessitates valve replacement through either surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Various studies have shown that, unlike for TAVR, SAVR is associated with an elevated risk for women as compared to men. The aim of this review is to better understand the risks and their possible causes, associated with the use of both TAVR and SAVR in female patients.

Thrombophilic risk factors in hemodialysis: Association with early vascular access occlusion and patient survival in long-term follow-up.

Objective: Thrombophilic risk factors (TRFs) occur rather frequently in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, little is known about their significance in HD patients, besides their potential impact on arteriovenous (AV) access failure, with varying results. We examined the effects of a wide variety of TRFs on both early AV fistula occlusion and survival among HD patients in long-term follow-up.

Humoral and Cellular Patterns of Early Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Relation to the Cardiovascular Risk in Axial Spondylarthritis.

Background: Spondylarthritis (SpA) significantly affects sacroiliac, intervertebral and peripheral joints. Patients with SpA suffer from increased cardiovascular risk (CVR). The endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) system critically perpetuates vascular repair.

Difference between renal and splenic resistive index as a novel criterion in Doppler evaluation of renal artery stenosis.

Detection of renal artery stenosis (RAS) using Doppler is difficult to evaluate, particularly under conditions such as bilateral RAS or difficultly accessible renal arteries (RA). The objective of the present study was to assess the utility of splenic arterial compared to renal flow as an additional parameter in the Doppler evaluation of RAS. The difference between the resistive indices (RI) determined in renal and splenic parenchymal arteries (ΔRI ) was evaluated in 181 hypertensive subjects without any evidence of RAS.

Variables to Predict Nephrological Disease in General, and Glomerulonephritis in Particular, in Patients With Microhematuria.

Background: Microhematuria (MH) is a symptom frequently leading to uncertainty as to when a nephrology referral is appropriate. Because MH may be indicative of severe kidney disorders, prompt diagnosis and potential treatment initiation can be important. We aimed to identify further variables that point at a nephrological cause, in particular of glomerulonephritis (GN), when MH is diagnosed.

Urinary free light chains may help to identify infection in patients with elevated systemic inflammation due to rheumatic disease.

The risk of infection in patients with rheumatic diseases is elevated, but a clear marker to differentiate the cause of the systemic inflammation is missing. We assessed the ability urinary immunoglobulin free light chains (FLCs) to indicate the presence of infection in patients with rheumatic disease. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with rheumatic disease attending the Georg-August University Hospital in Goettingen, Germany, from January 2011 to December 2013.

Management of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Objectives: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is accompanied by increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. Treatment of AAV patients includes the management of conventional CV risk factors, primarily hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, while lipoprotein(a) (LP(a)) is an emerging potential target.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, retrospective study in Germany.

Characterization and history of arterial hypertension leading to inpatient treatment.

Background And Aims: Arterial hypertension is a major cause of death worldwide. For the most part, treatment for hypertension can be performed on an outpatient basis. However, some patients also require inpatient treatment, and the contributing factors for this remain unknown.

The significance and predictive value of free light chains in the urine of patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease.

In patients with rheumatic diseases, reliable markers for determining disease activity are scarce. One potential parameter is the level of immunoglobulin free light chains (FLCs), which is known to be elevated in the blood of patients with certain rheumatic diseases. Few studies have quantified FLCs in urine, a convenient source of test sample, in patients with different rheumatic diseases.

New data shed light on Y-loss-related pathogenesis in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Loss of the Y-chromosome (LOY) is described as both a normal age-related event and a marker of a neoplastic clone in hematologic diseases. To assess the significance of LOY in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), we determined the percentage of LOY in clonal CD34+ peripheral blood cells in comparison to normal CD3+ T-cells of 27 MDS patients using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Results were compared with the percentage of LOY in CD34+ and CD3+ cells of 32 elderly men without hematologic diseases and in 25 young blood donors.

Targeted therapies for treatment of renal cell carcinoma: recent advances and future perspectives.

Purpose: A wide variety of targeted therapies are available for the treatment of renal cancer that has progressed beyond the point at which surgery is a viable option. In addition, there are many more that are in the different stages of clinical trials. Here, we provide a methodical discussion of the efficacy and safety of targeted therapies for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Lipoprotein apheresis reduces biomarkers of plaque destabilization and cardiovascular risk.

Lipoprotein apheresis (LA) is believed to exert anti-atherosclerotic effects beyond LDL-cholesterol reduction. We investigated 22 patients undergoing regular LA on a weekly basis (group A) before (AP) and after LA procedure (EP), 15 healthy individuals (group B), and 22 hyperlipoproteinemic patients with concomitant cardiovascular end organ damage treated without LA therapy (group C). Biomarkers of endothelial inflammation (hsCRP), plaque destabilization, and rupture (sVCAM, MMP-9, PAPP-A, ADMA) were quantified.

Cellulose membranes are more effective in holding back vital proteins and exhibit less interaction with plasma proteins during hemodialysis.

The vast majority of patients with end-stage renal disease are treated with intermittent hemodialysis as a form of renal replacement therapy. To investigate the impact of hemodialysis membrane material on vital protein removal, dialysates from 26 well-characterized hemodialysis patients were collected 5 min after beginning, during 5h of treatment, as well as 5 min before ending of the dialysis sessions. Dialysis sessions were performed using either modified cellulose (n=12) (low-flux and high flux) or synthetic Polyflux (n=14) (low-flux and high-flux) dialyzer.

The role of bone morphogenetic protein-5 (BMP-5) in human nephrosclerosis.

Background: Bone morphogenetic protein-5 (BMP-5) has been shown to be essential for nephrogenesis. Its role in adult kidney and in patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis is still unknown.

Methods: BMP-5 expression was evaluated by immunostaining and real-time PCR in tissue samples from normal and nephrosclerotic human kidneys.

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-7 expression is decreased in human hypertensive nephrosclerosis.

Background: Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)-7 is protective in different animal models of acute and chronic kidney disease. Its role in human kidneys, and in particular hypertensive nephrosclerosis, has thus far not been described.

Methods: BMP-7 mRNA was quantified using real-time PCR and localised by immunostaining in tissue samples from normal and nephrosclerotic human kidneys.

Retrospective analysis of long-term lipid apheresis at a single center.

We retrospectively analyzed 10 906 lipid apheresis sessions (heparin-induced lipoprotein precipitation, direct adsorption of lipoproteins, double filtration plasmapheresis, dextran sulfate adsorption, and immunoadsorption) in 38 patients who were consecutively treated in our department during the last 20 years. The incidences of major cardiovascular events (MACE) (death, cerebrovascular accident, myocardial infarction, limb amputation, and renal vascular involvement) were taken separately as primary end-points or as a combined end-point. The time-course of secondary end-points (coronary and extracranial status of arteries, left ventricular function, occlusive artery disease, and calculated glomerular filtration rate [cGFR]) were also evaluated, as well as the extent of the reduction in plasma lipids and lipoproteins and the incidence of therapy associated side-effects.

Low-density lipoprotein apheresis decreases ferritin, transferrin and vitamin B12, which may cause anemia in serially treated patients.

Clinical observations revealed an increased prevalence of iron deficiency anemia without chronic bleeding in patients treated with serial low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis. Since several different proteins are adsorbed by LDL apheresis beside pro-atherogenic lipoproteins, we examined the modification of the full blood count, plasma iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and hemolysis by LDL apheresis. Nineteen patients (55 (50-59) years, 4 female, 15 male) undergoing chronic LDL apheresis due to mixed dyslipidemia (N = 17), homozygous familiar hypercholesterolemia (N = 1) or isolated elevated lipoprotein(a) (N = 1) were included in this study.

Role of CX3C-chemokine CX3C-L/fractalkine expression in a model of slowly progressive renal failure.

Background: The chemokine/chemokine receptor pair CX(3)C-L/CX(3)C-R is suspected to play a role in renal fibrogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate their function in an animal model of slowly progressive chronic renal failure.

Methods: Functional data were analysed in folic acid nephropathy (FAN) at different time points (up to day 142 after induction).

Predictors of complications in therapeutic plasma exchange.

Plasma exchange (PE) is used for blood purification to modulate proteins involved in pathological processes. As the number of patients receiving PE treatment and the heterogeneity of the underlying diseases is steadily increasing, we evaluated the most frequent complications and analyzed causes leading to adverse reactions. 883 PE procedures in 113 patients between the years 2000 to 2006 were retrospectively analyzed with respect to complications.

Prenatal dexamethasone exposure does not alter blood pressure and nephron number in the young adult marmoset monkey.

The influence of prenatal factors on the development of arterial hypertension has gained considerable interest in recent years. Prenatal dexamethasone exposure was found to induce hypertension and to alter nephron number and size in rodents and sheep. However, it is not clear whether these findings are applicable to nonhuman primates.

[Progressive renal failure in spontaneous-onset cholesterol crystal embolism].

Case Report: A 69-year-old man was admitted to the authors' hospital with an increase of plasma creatinine from 1.4 up to 4.9 mg/dl within 4 months and the clinical complaints of painful purple toes, recurrent epistaxis and disturbances of equilibrium.

[Prevention of cardiovascular disease by blocking the endocannabinoid system].

Risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease, in particular myocardial infarction, are smoking, high body weight, sedentary lifestyle, unfavorable diet, high blood pressure, elevated fasting glucose or diabetes, and dyslipidemia (Tables 1 and 2). If the risk for cardiovascular mortality of 5% (using the SCORE Score) or for nonfatal cardiovascular events of 20% (PROCAM Score) within the next 10 years is exceeded or overt atherosclerosis or type 2 diabetes mellitus is present, the use of (poly)pharmacotherapy is indicated and lifestyle intervention (diet, physical activity) alone is not sufficient at that point (Figure 1). A new therapeutic option, able to modify a number of cardiovascular risk factors at a time, is the blockade of the so-called endocannabinoid system (Figure 2).

[Albuminuria: an indicator of cardiovascular risk].

Background: The transition of albumin from the vascular lumen into the surrounding tissue always indicates a serious disturbance of the vascular wall. Clinically, this process can be recognized as "cotton-wool" spots of the retina or by testing the urine for the presence of albumin. The appearance of albumin in the urine is pathologic and should be evaluated within the context of the accompanying cardiovascular risk.