Clonality in nevocellular nevus and melanoma: an expression-based clonality analysis at the X-linked genes by polymerase chain reaction.

The true nature of nevocellular nevus is still unknown and it has been ambiguously classified as a neoplasm or a hamartoma. We studied the clonality of nevocellular nevus and melanoma (malignant melanoma), using an expression-based clonality analysis at the X-linked genes by means of polymerase chain reaction. DNA was extracted from cryostat sections of 20 nevocellular nevi (10 compound and 10 intradermal type) and five melanomas from female patients.

Beneficial effect of alpha-blocker on hemorheology in patients with essential hypertension.

To assess the effect of antihypertensive therapy on hemorheology in essential hypertension, blood viscosity and red blood cell deformability were examined in 45 patients with essential hypertension and 20 age-matched normotensive control subjects. Hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to monotherapy with five different antihypertensive drugs for 6 months and change of blood viscosity and red blood cell deformability were reexamined after the end of the monotherapy with each antihypertensive drug. Blood viscosity increased and red blood cell deformability decreased in hypertensive patients compared to normotensive control subjects.

Improvement of insulin sensitivity contributes to blood pressure reduction after weight loss in hypertensive subjects with obesity.

To access the role of insulin resistance in obesity hypertension, we examined the change of insulin sensitivity after weight loss in 24 obese hypertensive subjects by the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp method. The results of the 4-week calorie-restricted diet were a weight loss of 10.2% (from 74 +/- 12 to 67 +/- 11 kg, P < .