Diurnal cortisol features with cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients: a cohort study.

Objective: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the effects of diurnal cortisol features on future CVD remain unclear among patients with hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate the association between diurnal cortisol features and CVD in patients with hypertension.

Design And Methods: Participants with cortisol rhythm test at baseline in Urumqi Research on Sleep Apnea and Hypertension (UROSAH) in 2011-2013 were enrolled and followed up till 2021.

Association of serum high mobility group box 1 levels with disease activity and renal involvement in patients with systemic vasculitis.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a kind of proinflammatory mediator that acts as an alarmin when released by dying, injured or activated cells. Previous studies have reported that HMGB1 are closely linked to antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV). The present study aimed to evaluate whether serum HMGB1 levels were associated with systemic vasculitis (VAs).

Serum lysosomal-associated membrane protein-2 levels are increased in small and medium-vessel vasculitis, especially in polyarteritis nodosa.

Objectives: Lysosomal-associated membrane protein-2 (LAMP-2) is a highly glycosylated type I glycoprotein ex- pressed on the membranes of neutrophils, endothelial cells and other cells, which are closely linked to subsets of systematic vasculitis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum LAMP-2 can be used as a biomarker in small and medium vessel vasculitis (SMVV).

Methods: Serum samples from 39 patients with SMVV (including ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and polyarteritis nodosa (PAN)) confirmed by angiography and/or biopsy and 78 healthy controls (HC) were collected.

Association Between Polymorphisms of ADRBK1 Gene and Plasma Renin Activity in Hypertensive Patients: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND Renin is the first step of the RAS cascade, which is a major regulator of salt-volume homeostasis. Adrenergic beta receptor kinase 1 (ADRBK1) plays important roles in regulating blood pressure via the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC), which plays an important role in Na+ reabsorption in the renal collecting duct. The present case-control study was designed to investigate the potential relationship between polymorphisms of ADRBK1 and plasma renin activity (PRA) in hypertension.

Anti-atherosclerotic effect of traditional fermented cheese whey in atherosclerotic rabbits and identification of probiotics.

Background: Traditional fermented cheese whey (TFCW), containing probiotics, has been used both as a dairy food with ethnic flavor and a medicine for cardiovascular disease, especially regulating blood lipid among Kazakh. We therefore investigated anti-atherosclerotic effects of TFCW in atherosclerotic rabbits and identified lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts in TFCW.

Methods: Atherosclerotic rabbits were induced by administration of atherosclerotic diet for 12 weeks and divided randomly into three groups and treated for 4 weeks with Simvastatin (20 mg/kg) or TFCW (25 mg/kg) and (50 mg/kg).

Relationship between surfactant proteins B and C and obstructive sleep apnea: is serum SP-B concentration a potential biomarker of obstructive sleep apnea?

Background: Surfactant proteins B and C are mainly synthesized, secreted by alveolar type II cells, and affected by hypoxia and mechanical stretches. We hypothesized that their serum levels might be altered by intermittent hypoxia and swing of intrathoracic pressure of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods: Consecutive 140 middle-aged males, suspicious of OSA determined by polysomnography, were studied.