Influence of oral vitamin E therapy on micro-inflammation and cardiovascular disease markers in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of oral vitamin E therapy on serum concentrations of several markers of micro-inflammation and cardiovascular disease in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods: 29 HD patients were randomized into two groups: 15 patients were treated orally with 400 mg of vitamin E daily for a period of five weeks, and 14 patients received no antioxidant supplementation. Before and after vitamin E therapy, serum concentrations of vitamin E (high-performance liquid chromatography), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (immunochemical--TRACE assay), C-reactive protein (nephelometry), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ELISA), and E-selectin (ELISA) were measured.

Intravenous iron gluconate administration increases circulating PAPP-A in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is a proatherosclerotic molecule, interrelated with oxidative stress in hemodialysis (HD) patients. As intravenous (IV) iron might enhance oxidative stress in HD patients, this study investigates circulating PAPP-A during HD session and after IV iron administration.

Methods: In 20 HD patients, plasma PAPP-A concentration was assessed immunochemically during 2 HD sessions (prior to HD and at 60, 130, and 240 min of HD session).

Glycoxidation and inflammation in chronic haemodialysis patients.

Background: Uraemia and haemodialysis treatment are associated with microinflammation and oxidative as well as carbonyl stress, which result in enhanced formation of glycoxidation products. Although both glycoxidation and inflammation can contribute to severe vascular and cardiovascular complications, the role that these pathogenic mechanisms play in the complex response of the whole organism remains to be elucidated.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in 34 clinically stable chronic haemodialysis patients and in 14 healthy controls while determining serum concentrations of pentosidine, fluorescent advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) and acute phase reactants.

Antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with lupus nephritis.

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies with other types of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) (antiphosphatidylserine--aPS, antiphosphatidylinositol--aPI, antiphosphatidylethanolamine--aPE) in patients with lupus nephritis and to find if the examination of a panel of various aPL is valuable for further diagnosis of patients. Additionally we determined the levels of autoantibodies against beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2GPI) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (anti-oxLDL) and also investigated the relationship between antibodies against beta2GPI and oxLDL, which were assessed by ELISA methods. Twenty-two patients with lupus nephritis were studied.