NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) and cystatin C: are they good predictors of contrast nephropathy after percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with stable angina and normal serum creatinine?

The aim of the study was to assess whether NGAL and cystatin C could predict contrast-induced nephropathy in non-diabetic patients (n=60, mean age 60+/-11 years) with normal serum creatinine undergoing elective PCI. We found a significant rise in serum NGAL after 2, 4 and 8 h, and in urinary NGAL after 4, 8 and 24 h after PCI. Cystatin C rose significantly 8 and 24 h after the procedure.

Sulodexide for hemodialysis anticoagulation in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT II) is an immune-mediated prothrombotic state. It requires cessation of all forms of heparin exposure. In maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients, alternative anticoagulants (i.

Elevated resistin is related to inflammation and residual renal function in haemodialysed patients.

Aim: Resistin is an adipocytokine that recently generated much interest. Because of the fact that inflammation, endothelial cell damage or injury is invariably associated with such clinical conditions as thrombosis, atherosclerosis and their major clinical consequences, that is, cardiovascular disease and resistin play a role in linking inflammation and cardiovascular disease, the aim of the study was to assess resistin in correlation with markers of inflammation, endothelial cell injury and residual renal function in haemodialysed (HD) patients.

Methods: We assessed resistin, markers of coagulation: thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT), prothrombin fragments 1+2; fibrinolysis: tPA, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1, plasmin-antiplasmin complexes (PAP); endothelial function/injury: von Willebrand factor (vWF), thrombomodulin, intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM); inflammation: high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumour necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Long-term erythropoietin therapy does not affect endothelial markers, coagulation activation and oxidative stress in haemodialyzed patients.

Introduction: Although the general improvement caused by recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) in the correction of uraemic anaemia cannot be questioned, some data suggest that the changes in the haemostasis, endothelial function and oxidative stress (SOX) are induced. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of one-year rHuEPO therapy on the coagulation activation, endothelial injury markers and SOX in haemodialysis (HD) patients.

Materials And Methods: Assessment of coagulation activation pathway: tissue factor (TF), its inhibitor (TFPI) and prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2); endothelial injury markers: von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) and thrombomodulin (TM); and several parameters related to SOX: total peroxide, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and autoantibodies to oxidized LDL (OxLDL-Ab) levels were performed in stable HD patients, treated for 12 months with rHuEPO (n=18; mean dose 113.

Enoxaparin but not unfractionated heparin causes a dose-dependent increase in plasma TGF-beta 1 during haemodialysis: a cross-over study.

Background: Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is a multi-functional cytokine that presents as a mediator of the heparin's pleiotropic action. In this cross-over study, we compared the effects of enoxaparin and unfractionated heparin (UFH) used as anticoagulants during haemodialysis (HD) on plasma TGF-beta1 levels and some platelet activation markers: platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB), beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) and platelet factor-4 (PF-4).

Methods: Plasma immunoreactive markers (in 22 chronically HD patients) were quantified at the start, at 10 and 180 min of HD session.

Long-term erythropoietin therapy does not affect metalloproteinases and their inhibitor levels, oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialyzed patients.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) play an important role in the atherosclerosis. Recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) has become widely used to treat anemic hemodialyzed (HD) patients; however, an increased mortality has been reported for HD patients with cardiovascular disease when randomly assigned to normal hematocrit by EPO. Therefore, we conducted a study examining the effect of EPO on MMPs/TIMPs system, oxidative stress and inflammation in these patients.

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b and its correlations with other markers of bone metabolism in kidney transplant recipients and dialyzed patients.

Purpose: Renal osteodystrophy is a common complication of chronic renal failure and renal replacement therapy. Successful kidney transplantation reverses many of these abnormalities, however, the improvement is often incomplete. The osteoclast specific 5b isoform of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) 5b has recently been proposed a specific and sensitive marker of bone resorption.

Tissue factor and urokinase-type plasminogen activator system are related to the presence of cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis patients.

Introduction: The disturbances of haemostasis and enhanced oxidative stress (SOX) appear to contribute to the cardiovascular disease (CVD) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate if the disorders of coagulation/fibrinolysis system are associated with the presence of CVD in these patients.

Materials And Methods: We compared pre-dialysis levels of uPA, suPAR, tissue factor (TF) and its inhibitor (TFPI), prothrombin fragment F1+2 (F1+2); a marker of SOX-Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and a surrogate of inflammation-high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs CRP) in HD patients with and without CVD.

Sulodexide induces hepatocyte growth factor release in humans.

Heparin influences numerous pleiotropic growth factors, including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), partially by their release from endothelial and extracellular matrix stores. The effects of sulodexide, a heparin-like glycosaminoglycan medication of growing importance in medicine, on HGF liberation are not known. We performed a 2-week open-label sulodexide trial in healthy male volunteers.

Thyroid function, endothelium, and inflammation in hemodialyzed patients: possible relations?

Objective: Renal function affects the thyroid gland in many ways. Disturbances in hemostasis and inflammation are common complications of kidney diseases. Endothelial dysfunction may link these two processes.

Possible relations between thyroid function, endothelium, and kidney and liver function in kidney allograft recipients.

Background: Renal function affects the thyroid gland in many ways. Disturbances in hemostasis and endothelial damage are common complications of kidney disease. Endothelial dysfunction may link these two processes.

Resistin, a new adipokine, is related to inflammation and renal function in kidney allograft recipients.

Background: Among patients without chronic kidney disease, resistin, an adipocytokine, has been related to inflammatory markers, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular disease in the metabolic syndrome. Moreover, resistin up-regulates adhesion molecules. Since inflammation and endothelial cell damage or injury are invariably associated with thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and their major clinical consequences, resistin may play a role to link inflammation and CVD.

Long-term erythropoietin therapy decreases CC-chemokine levels and intima-media thickness in hemodialyzed patients.

Background: CC-chemokines are now widely accepted in the recruitment of leukocytes from the blood compartment into tissues, and their role in the progression of atherosclerosis has been documented. Recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) has become widely used to treat anemic HD patients. However, little is known about the effect of EPO on the plasma CC-chemokine levels and intima-media thickness (IMT) in HD patients.

Hepcidin, an acute-phase protein and a marker of inflammation in kidney transplant recipients with and without coronary artery disease.

Background: In kidney transplant recipients, endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis are almost universal, as are cardiovascular complications. Inflammatory markers have been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis, regarded as a chronic inflammatory condition. Iron metabolism is disturbed in chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Inflammation but not oxidative stress is associated with beta-chemokine levels and prevalence of cardiovascular disease in uraemic patients.

Inflammation and oxidative stress (SOX) have been reported in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), but their influence on beta-chemokines levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence remains unknown. We assessed beta-chemokines, SOX markers and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs CRP) as a marker of inflammation in 40 uraemic patients, both with as well as without CVD and 20 controls. Compared with the controls, the patients with CVD showed a significant increase in plasma concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), total peroxide (both p<0.

Impaired renal function and duration of dialysis therapy are associated with oxidative stress and proatherogenic cytokine levels in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Objectives: The present study was undertaken to clarify the role of the impaired renal function and the dialysis therapy on plasma levels of proatherogenic cytokines and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD)--as a marker of oxidative stress (SOX) in uraemia.

Design And Methods: We have measured the levels of Cu/Zn SOD, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) macrophage inflammatory proteins (MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the plasma of predialysis (CRF) (n=42), on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) (n=25) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) (n=45) patients and in the healthy volunteers (n=20).

Results: The increase in Cu/Zn SOD levels was in PD and HD patients compared to controls (215.

Tissue factor and its inhibitor in human non-crescentic glomerulonephritis--immunostaining vs plasma and urinary levels.

Background: Tissue factor (TF)-the most potent trigger of coagulation and emerging antiapoptotic, proliferative and angiogenic factor, along with its principal inhibitor (tissue factor pathway inhibitor, TFPI) are known to be involved in crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN). We studied the relationship between plasma and urinary levels as well as renal biopsy immunostaining of TF and TFPI antigens with reference to some clinical parameters in human chronic non-crescentic GN.

Methods: We examined plasma and urinary levels of TF and total TFPI (pre-biopsy, ELISA) and the intensity of TF, TFPI 1 and TFPI 2 staining (immunoperoxidase histochemistry) in kidney biopsy specimens from 30 chronic GN patients.

Hepcidin, iron status, and renal function in chronic renal failure, kidney transplantation, and hemodialysis.

Hepcidin is a small defensin-like peptide whose production by hepatocytes is modulated in response to anemia, hypoxia, or inflammation. Hepcidin could also act as an indicator of functional iron deficiency in these patients. Cross-sectional study was performed to assess hepcidin correlations with renal function, iron status, and hsCRP in patients with chronic renal failure on conservative treatment, on hemodialyses, and in kidney transplant recipients.

Chirality-biased point defects dynamics on a disclination line in a nematic liquid crystal.

Chiral additives in the nematic liquid crystal can alter the dynamics of point defects moving on a disclination line. They exert a constant force on defects, leading to the bimodal distribution of distances between them at long times. The evolution of the system of defects in the presence of chiral additives provides a very direct proof of the existence of repulsive forces between the defects at large distances.

Excess soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor in the plasma of dialysis patients correlates with increased fibrinolytic activity.

Introduction: Elevated levels of soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) and other fibrinolytic parameters related to the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) system can be implicated in clot lysis in plasma. In this study, we examined whether the excess suPAR was associated with increased plasma fibrinolytic activity, determined as plasmin/antiplasmin (PAP) complexes in dialysis patients.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-six patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) and 18 on maintenance peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) were examined together with 20 healthy controls.

[Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in stable and unstable coronary heart disease].

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is an angiogenic factor upregulated in ischaemic diseases. We measured plasma HGF concentration in 26 patients (pts) with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and 16 pts with unstable angina pectoris (UAP). HGF levels were significantly higher in pts with UAP compared with pts with SAP (p<0,01), in pts with SAP vs control group (n=38, p<0,01) and in pts with UAP vs control group (p<0,001).

Markers of endothelial damage in patients on hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration.

Background: The purpose of the study was to assess whether renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the form of hemodialysis (HD) or hemodiafiltration (HDF) affects hemostasis and endothelial function in patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRF).

Patients And Methods: Thirty-five hemodialyzed patients and 14 HDF patients were evaluated regarding hemostatic parameters, serum lipids and endothelial cell injury markers.

Results: HD patients did not differ significantly in regard to serum lipids, complete blood count, hemostasis, and dialysis adequacy as measured by Kt/V when compared to HDF patients.

Blue natural organic dyestuffs--from textile dyeing to mural painting. Separation and characterization of coloring matters present in elderberry, logwood and indigo.

Natural dyestuffs used for painting or dyeing of textiles are complex mixtures of compounds of various chemical properties. Proper identification of the dye used by a painter and, even better, its origin is possible only when its compositional 'fingerprint' can be evaluated. For this reason gradient program for liquid chromatographic separation of 16 color compounds--components of natural blue dyes: elderberry, logwood and indigo--has been developed.

Possible association between circulating vascular endothelial growth factor and oxidative stress markers in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor is involved in the process of atherogenesis. Increased oxidative stress has been reported in hemodialyzed patients, but its influence on vascular endothelial growth factor levels remains unknown.

Material/methods: The levels of two oxidative stress markers, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase and autoantibodies against oxidized LDL, and the level of vascular endothelial growth factor were measured in pre-dialysis samples of hemodialyzed patients with and without cardiovascular disease and in healthy controls.