Plasma levels of adrenomedullin in patients with adrenoleukodystrophy/adrenomyeloneuropathy.

Background/aims: Adrenomedullin (AM) is a recently purified hypotensive peptide and its encoding gene has been sequenced from a human pheochromocytoma. High levels of AM have been shown in Addison's disease (AD). X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy/adrenomyeloneuropathy (ALD/AMN) is a peculiar adrenal insufficiency due to an accumulation of very-long chain fatty acid in adrenal cells and it is very often associated with a devastating demyelination of the central nervous system.

Adrenomedullin concentrations are elevated in plasma of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

The aim of the study was to evaluate plasma adrenomedullin (AM) concentration in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) and its effect on the regulation of blood pressure. Forty-one patients with PHP (25 normotensive and 16 hypertensive), and 31 healthy subjects (HS) were included in the study. As expected the total and ionized calcium and i-PTH serum levels were significantly higher in patients with PHP than in HS (P <.

High plasma adrenomedullin concentrations in patients with high-renin essential hypertension.

Adrenomedullin (AM) is a novel peptide, first isolated from human phaeochromocytoma, which elicits a long-lasting vasorelaxant activity. Recently, it has been reported that endothelial cells produce AM and that immunoreactive AM plasma levels may be elevated in human arterial hypertension, although the exact pathophysiological role of AM remains to be established. The aim of our study was to determine the relationship between the components of the enin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and plasma AM levels in patients with low-, medium- or high- renin essential hypertension.

Plasma levels of endothelin-1 increase in patients with sarcoidosis and fall after disease remission.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a chronic systemic disease, characterized by an imbalance of immunity processes and the presence of granuloma. Endothelin-1, a new vasoactive and bronchoconstrictive peptide, is a powerful mitogen for smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts and plays a role in the inflammation state. We postulate that endothelin-1 has a role in sarcoidosis.

[High circulating levels of adrenomedullin and endothelin-1 in obesity associated with arterial hypertension].

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the behavior of two endothelial vasoactive peptides, adrenomedullin (vasodilator) and endothelin-1 (vasoconstrictor), in human obesity with and without arterial hypertension.

Methods: The study was carried out on 30 obese subjects (body mass index > 27 kg/m2) divided into two groups: 15 normotensive obese patients (10 males, 5 females, mean age 42 +/- 12 years) and 15 hypertensive obese patients (9 males, 6 females, mean age 42 +/- 13 years). The control group consisted of 21 normal subjects (12 males, 9 females, mean age 38 +/- 12 years) and of 16 patients with essential hypertension (10 males, 6 females, mean age 41 +/- 12 years) but without organ damage.