[Bartonella endocarditis associated with glomerulonephritis and neuroretinitis].

Blood-culture negative endocarditis is a diagnostic challenge. Both Bartonella and Coxiella can cause it with similar clinical presentations mimicking a systemic vasculitis. The identification of the etiologic agent is essential because they differ in treatment type and duration.

A prospective observational cohort study highlights kidney biopsy findings of lupus nephritis patients in remission who flare following withdrawal of maintenance therapy.

One of the most difficult management issues in lupus nephritis (LN) is the optimal duration of maintenance immunosuppression after patients are in clinical remission. Most patients receive immunosuppression for years, based mainly on expert opinion. Prospective data are unavailable.

Analysis of 65 Renal Biopsies From Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis (1976-2015): Change in Treatment Strategies Decreased Frequency and Modified Histopathological Findings.

Introduction: No inherent renal lesions are known in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but urinary abnormalities and renal dysfunction have been described.

Objective: First, we describe the histopathological findings of renal biopsies (RBs) in patients with RA and associated clinical manifestations. Second, we evaluated time evolution of RA and the relationship between drugs and renal disease.

[Hypertrophic pachymeningitis, glomerulonephritis and P-ANCA associated small vessel vasculitis].

Hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a very unusual disease, the main characteristic of which is thickening of the dura mater. We describe a patient who started this illness showing chronic headache and pauciimmune necrotizing extracapillary perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (P-ANCA) associated glomerulonephritis. The diagnosis was made by brain magnetic resonance image.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition reduces lipid deposits in myocardium and improves left ventricular function of obese zucker rats.

Objective: Alterations in the renin angiotensin system, cardiac lipotoxicity, and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction have been reported in obese rats. The present study examined whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition could ameliorate lipid deposition and ventricular function in the myocardium of obese Zucker rats (OZRs).

Research Methods And Procedures: For 6 months, rats were treated as follows: Group (G) 1, OZR, no treatment; G2, OZR + ramipril (R); G3, OZR + amlodipine (AML); and G4, lean Zucker rats.

ACE inhibitor and angiotensin type I receptor antagonist in combination reduce renal damage in obese Zucker rats.

Background: In this study, we evaluated whether a combination of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, benazepril (B), with an angiotensin type I receptor antagonist (AT1RA), irbesartan (I), is as effective or more than drugs as monotherapy in controlling renal damage in obese Zucker rats (OZR), a model of metabolic syndrome.

Methods: During six months, G1 (OZR receiving no treatment); G2 (OZR with B 10 mg/kg/day); G3 (OZR with I 50mg/kg/day); and G4 (OZR with B 5mg/kg/day + I 25 mg/kg/day). Kidneys were processed for light microscopy (LM) and immunohistochemistry, including antibodies against interstitial alpha-smooth-muscle-actin (alpha-SMA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), transforming growth factor-beta(1)(TGF-beta 1), and collagen (COL) I, III, and IV.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and angiogenesis in myocardium of obese Zucker rats.

Background: Obesity, hypertension, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) are associated with microvascular rarefaction in the myocardium and this contributes to increase cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. At present, controversial data exist in medical literature regarding the specific role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors concerning angiogenesis in different tissues. The present study was designed to determine the possible beneficial effects of an ACE inhibitor perindopril on myocardial angiogenesis in an animal model of obesity, hypertension, and NIDDM, such as the obese Zucker rat (OZR) and control lean Zucker rats (LZR).

Cardiovascular protective role of a low-dose antihypertensive combination in obese Zucker rats.

Objective: Obesity, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and hypertension are leading causes associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In modern times, the combined first line antihypertensive therapy with at least two drugs with a different mechanism of action to achieve a better blood pressure control, is increasing in acceptance worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine possible beneficial effects of the low-dose combination (LDC) of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, perindopril (PER), and the diuretic indapamide (IND), regarding myocardial and vessels protection in an animal model of hypertension, obesity and NIDDM, such as the obese Zucker rat (OZR), and control lean Zucker rats (LZR).