Preliminary analysis of the association between methylation of the ACE2 promoter and essential hypertension.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether methylation of the angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) promoter increases the risk of essential hypertension (EH). A total of 96 patients with EH were recruited and 96 sex‑ and age‑matched healthy controls. Methylation of 5 CpG dinucleotides in the ACE2 promoter was quantified using bisulfite pyrosequencing.

[Effectiveness of preoperative autologous plateletpheresis combined with intraoperative autotransfusion on the blood coagulation in orthopaedic patients].

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of preoperative plateletpheresis combined with intraoperative autotransfusion on the blood coagulation of orthopaedic patients.

Methods: Sixty patients (ASA I-II) undergoing selective orthopaedic surgery were randomized into three groups (n = 20), that is, preoperative plateletpheresis combined with intraoperative autotransfusion for group I, intraoperative autotransfusion for group II, and group III without any managements of blood conservation. Coagulation parameters (prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen), hemoglobin and hematocrit values, platelet counts and aggregability were evaluated before the anaesthesia, 10 minutes after plateletpheresis, 10 minutes before the infusion of platelet rich plasma or autologous blood, 10 minutes after infusion, 24 and 48 hours postoperation.