European journal of clinical investigation
-
Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Oct 2011
Association between kidney and cardiac diastolic function in Chinese subjects without overt disease: correlation with ageing and inflammatory markers.
Age-related changes in kidney structure and function have been well documented. This study aimed to assess the relationship between declines of normal ageing-related kidney function and cardiac diastolic function in a healthy Chinese population. ⋯ Our results confirm that ageing is a major factor contributing to declines in both kidney and cardiac diastolic function in a healthy population. Adjustment for covariates, however, showed that normal ageing-related declines in kidney function and cardiac diastolic function are not independently linked.
-
Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Oct 2011
Cyclosporine metabolic side effects: association with the WNK4 system.
Cyclosporine is used for treatment of transplanted patients and for immune-mediated diseases. Cyclosporine is known to cause a combination of metabolic side effects including hypertension, hyperkalemia, hypercalciuria and hypomagnesemia. These side effects except for hypomagnesemia are the cardinal features of familial hyperkalemia and hypertension (FHHt), also called pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHA II). FHHt is caused by mutations in the kinases WNK1 and WNK4 resulting in an increase in renal Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC) apical distribution and function. Therefore, we studied whether cyclosporine's metabolic side effects are mediated by WNK4 and NCC. ⋯ These observations may explain in part the mechanism of cyclosporine-induced hypertension, hyperkalemia and hypercalciuria.
-
Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Oct 2011
Measurement of nasal nitric oxide by hand-held and stationary devices.
Nasal nitric oxide (nNO) is assessed by nasal aspiration/insufflation via one nostril or by nasal silent exhalation through a facemask and is also measured during humming, a manoeuvre that results in increased nNO in the presence of a patent osteomeatal complex. Humming nNO peak is absent in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and in cystic fibrosis (CF). Hand-held devices are used successfully for exhaled or nNO analysis. No study compared nNO during silent and humming exhalation using hand-held and stationary analysers. ⋯ The hand-held device is as effective as the stationary analyzer for assessing nNO during silent and humming exhalation. Its wider use might result in an increased number of subjects suspected to have PCD.
-
Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Oct 2011
Aggressive pituitary tumours: the role of temozolomide and the assessment of MGMT status.
Aggressive pituitary tumours are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Treatment options are often limited, and chemotherapy has been reserved as salvage therapy although historically results have often been disappointing. However, temozolomide, an oral alkylating agent, has recently demonstrated significant activity against these tumours. A DNA repair protein, 06-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) has been suggested as a biomarker to predict response to temozolomide in pituitary tumours. ⋯ Temozolomide is the first chemotherapeutic agent to show substantial response rates in aggressive pituitary tumours. MGMT immunohistochemistry, but not MGMT methylation analysis, shows promise as a predictive tool. Prospective clinical trials are now necessary to more accurately determine the efficacy of this agent in this patient group.