Inter- and intra-individual variations in normal urinary glycine betaine excretion.

Objectives: To establish whether normal human subjects excrete glycine betaine at a constant rate.

Design And Methods: Urine was collected from ten normal healthy male subjects for 14 days, during which fluid intake was systematically varied from <800 mL to >3 L per day. Glycine betaine, sorbitol and creatinine excretions were estimated per day and as millimole per mol creatinine.

Short and long-term variation of plasma glycine betaine concentrations in humans.

Background: Glycine betaine is important in cell volume regulation and in remethylating homocysteine, a vascular risk factor.

Objective: We investigated changes in circulating glycine betaine concentrations in human volunteers both under acute osmotic stress and over longer time scales.

Design: Plasma glycine betaine concentrations were measured in normal human volunteers in three studies: (1) during acute diuresis and antidiuresis; (2) during prolonged diuresis for 5 days, and antidiuresis for 5 days followed by further diuresis for the final 5 days; (3) repeated samples taken 3 years apart.

Short-term response of nonurea organic osmolytes in human kidney to a water load and water deprivation.

The cells of the inner medulla of the mammalian kidney accumulate high concentrations of nonurea organic osmolytes. The organic osmolytes found in the kidney include glycine betaine and sorbitol. This study was designed to measure changes in the urinary excretion of glycine betaine and sorbitol and the plasma concentration of glycine betaine in response to an acute water load (20 ml/kg) or acute water deprivation in young healthy males.

Abnormal glycine betaine content of the blood and urine of diabetic and renal patients.

In normal human plasma the concentrations of the renal osmolyte, glycine betaine, are usually between 20 and 70 mumol/l, in adult males (median 44 mumol/l) higher than in females (34 mumol/l). Concentrations are lower in renal disease (median 28 mumol/l) and normal in diabetes. Urinary excretion of glycine betaine shows no sex difference and is frequently elevated both in renal disease and in diabetes (medians: normal, 6.

Glycine betaine and proline betaine in human blood and urine.

In healthy human subjects, glycine betaine concentrations in the blood plasma are normally between 20 and 60 mumol/l, adult males tending to have higher concentrations than females. Proline betaine concentrations are more variable, ranging from undetectable to about 50 mumol/l. Both betaines are present in urine.

Organic osmolytes in human and other mammalian kidneys.

Osmotically-active organic solutes, or osmolytes, have been found in high concentration in the renal inner medulla of a wide variety of mammalian species, but their existence in human kidneys has not yet been shown. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the presence of osmolytes in the human kidney. Human tissues were obtained from kidneys removed surgically for diseases which involved only one pole of the kidney; in most cases this was a tumor.

Epstein-Barr virus infection acquired from a cadaveric renal transplant.

A 42-year-old man, seronegative for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), received a cadaveric renal transplant. Serology from the 27-year-old male donor indicated an active EBV infection. Following treatment for acute rejection with OKT3 the recipient developed a severe systemic illness.

Quinine-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Recurrent disseminated intravascular coagulation occurred in 3 women after ingestion of quinine tablets for cramp. All had circulating quinine-dependent antibodies to platelets and in 2 there was initial evidence of antibody consumption, with low titres that rose steeply over the next few days and remained high for many months.

Wegener's granulomatosis with renal involvement: a 14 year experience.

Over a 14 year period 17 patients (nine men) with Wegener's granulomatosis and renal involvement had a renal biopsy. All patients had a necrotising glomerulonephritis and 15 had evidence of crescent formation in glomeruli. Fourteen patients were treated with both prednisone and cyclophosphamide and three with prednisone and azathioprine.

Anemia and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in renal transplant recipients.

The renin-angiotensin system has been shown to have an effect on erythropoietin synthesis and hemoglobin concentration. We present a retrospective study of stable renal transplant recipients who received an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor as treatment of hypertension. Fifteen patients were eligible, with a mean hemoglobin concentration of 130.

Asthma: a provincial study.

To identify factors contributing to increased mortality and morbidity we prospectively evaluated 200 consecutive adult (greater than 17 years) asthmatic presentations (105 patients) referred to Gisborne Hospital over a 28 month period between 1985 and 1987 using a modified protocol adapted from previous national studies. In the moderate asthmatic group (113 presentations, 56%), 6% failed to use beta agonists prior to admission and 43% were not on regular steroid inhaler therapy. No patient had a crisis plan although 45 (22.