In acute kidney injury, indoxyl sulfate impairs human endothelial progenitor cells: modulation by statin.

Renal ischemia rapidly mobilizes endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which provides renoprotection in acute kidney injury (AKI). Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is a protein-binding uremic toxin with a potential role in endothelial injury. In this study, we examined the effects and mechanisms of action of IS on EPCs in AKI.

Endothelial progenitor cells in primary aldosteronism: a biomarker of severity for aldosterone vasculopathy and prognosis.

Context: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular events, probably through mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)-dependent endothelial cell dysfunction, in comparison with essential hypertension (EH).

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the number and function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) in PA and the relationship with arterial stiffness and disease progression.

Design And Setting: We conducted a prospective study of the change of EPC number and outcome of PA patients after treatment at a tertiary medical center.

The evolving national birth prevalence of Down syndrome in Taiwan. A study on the impact of second-trimester maternal serum screening.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine whether the liberal use of second-trimester maternal serum screening in Taiwan started in 1994 had a measurable impact on birth prevalence of infants with Down syndrome (DS) in the past decade.

Methods: We based our study on the databases of 'National Birth Defect Registration and Notification System', 'Amniocentesis in Pregnant Women', and 'Demographic Fact Book' in Taiwan. Collected data included total registered birth number, the registered number of stillbirths, the registered numbers of live births and of DS stillbirths affected with DS, amniocentesis rates each year in pregnant women aged 35 or more, and the age distribution of pregnant women in Taiwan.