Salt intake is associated with inflammation in chronic heart failure.

Background: Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) is highly prevalent and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. It has been well established that excessive intake of sodium chloride (salt) induced hypertension in some populations. Although salt seems to induce cardiovascular diseases through elevation of blood pressure, it has also been indicated that salt can induce cardiovascular diseases independently from blood pressure elevation.

Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides positivity rate in patients with familial Mediterranean fever.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) with and without arthritis.

Methods: Eighty-three patients with FMF and 43 healthy controls were included in the study. Thirty seven FMF patients had a history of arthritis, and 46 patients did not.

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis associated with pseudoxanthoma elasticum.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a multiorgan disorder affecting mainly the skin, the eyes, and the cardiovascular system. A 51-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic complaining of weakness and swelling of her legs for the past two years. She had a proteinuria of 7.