Comparison of high- versus low-tissue affinity ACE-inhibitor treatment on circulating aldosterone levels in patients with chronic heart failure.

Introduction: Previous animal studies of chronic heart failure (CHF) suggest that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors of differing tissue avidity provide varying levels of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) suppression. Human studies have not consistently confirmed these animal findings. We hypothesised that production of circulating aldosterone (ALDO) would be suppressed to a greater extent in subjects treated with an ACE-inhibitor of higher tissue avidity.

Paraneoplastic production of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in a bladder carcinoma.

We report the case of a 51-year-old female with poorly differentiated bladder carcinoma who presented with leukocytosis and hypercalcemia. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was noted to be twice the normal level. Paraneoplastic leukocytosis in bladder carcinoma is rare, is often associated with paraneoplastic hypercalcemia, and appears to represent a particularly aggressive form of the disease.