Plasma aldosterone and its relationships with left ventricular mass in essential hypertensive patients with the metabolic syndrome.

Background: The association of aldosterone with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been fully elucidated. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationships of plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) with MetS and left ventricular mass (LVM) in nondiabetic Caucasian patients with essential hypertension.

Methods: Measurements were taken with the patients off antihypertensive medications.

Influence of the metabolic syndrome on aortic stiffness in never treated hypertensive patients.

Background And Aim: Metabolic syndrome (MS) carries an increased risk for cardiovascular events and there is a growing awareness that large artery stiffening is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Little is known about the relationship of MS with aortic stiffness. The aim of our study was to analyze, in patients with essential hypertension, the influence of MS, defined according to the criteria proposed by the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (NCEP-ATP III), on carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), a measure of aortic stiffness.

Renal plasma flow, filtration fraction and microalbuminuria in hypertensive patients: effects of chronic smoking.

Introduction: Albumin excretion rate is usually increased in people who smoke, but the physiological basis of this phenomenon is not fully understood.

Methods: The effect of chronic smoking on renal haemodynamics was studied in a cohort of 66 men. Twenty-seven were smokers and 36 were hypertensive.

Insulin resistance and glomerular hemodynamics in essential hypertension.

Background: Arterial hypertension is an important cause of end-stage renal failure. Insulin has been shown to modify glomerular hemodynamics in hypertensive subjects. The aim of this work, therefore, was to observe the relationships between renal hemodynamics and insulin resistance in arterial hypertension.

[25 years old woman with nocturia].

A 25 years old lady presented to our outpatient clinic complaining nicturia, polyuria and polydipsia. On the basis of clinical assessment and the results of a simple test, a diagnosis of Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus (NDI) was made. The diagnosis of NDI is often missed, and appropriate treatment therefore delayed, with severe consequences especially in elderly and bed restricted people.

Cross-reactivity of anti-ssDNA antibodies with heparan sulfate in patients with type I diabetes mellitus.

Anti-single-stranded-DNA antibodies cross-reactive with heparan sulfate were detected in serums of patients with type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. The results suggested that heparan sulfate, the major glycosaminoglycan constituent of the glomerular basement membrane, may serve as a target antigen in vivo for cross-reactive anti-DNA antibodies. These polyreactive antibodies, directed toward repeating negatively charged units, may neutralize the heparan sulfate-associated polyanionic sites in the glomerulus, leading to an abnormal permeability of anionic plasma proteins.

Detection of anti-phospholipid (cardiolipin, phosphatidylserine) antibodies in the serum of patients with non insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus and macroangiopathy. Coexistence of anti-platelet reactivity.

IgA and IgG antibodies against cardiolipin and/or phosphatidylserine were detected in the sera of patients with non insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus. The highest prevalence was observed in particular in patients with macrovascular complications (86%). A significant increase of platelet bound IgA and IgG was observed also in patients with sera positive for anti-phospholipid antibodies suggesting the coexistence of reactivity against phospholipid and platelets.

Serum levels of type III procollagen peptide in diabetes mellitus.

Serum levels of type III procollagen peptide (P-III-P) were investigated in 19 patients with type 1 (insulin-dependent) and in 48 (25 orally treated, 23 insulinized) patients with type 2 (non insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Among patients with type 2 diabetes, 16 orally treated and 14 insulin-treated subjects had macrovascular complications. P-III-P levels were not correlated with the duration of diabetes and with glucose control, nor were there any significant sex and age differences in the levels.

Analysis of IgA1 and IgA2 subclass distribution in IgA- containing circulating immune complexes in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Immune complexes (IC) containing IgA1 and IgA2 have been detected in diabetes mellitus. In particular IgA1 and IgA2-IC are equally distributed in type 2 diabetes. On the other hands IgA1-IC are prevailingly found in type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Autoantibodies to albumin in the plasma of patients with diabetes mellitus. Relationship with circulating immune complexes.

Anti-albumin antibodies that recognize glutaraldehyde treated albumin have been detected in diabetes mellitus, belonging to all immunoglobulin classes. Anti-albumin antibodies have been found to be closely associated with circulating immune complexes, suggesting a role in their formation. It is suggested that such immune complexes may account for the positive immunofluorescence findings of albumin, immunoglobulin and complement in blood vessels previously reported in diabetes mellitus.