European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Dec 2011
Determinants of plasma vitamin D levels in patients with acute coronary syndromes.
Vitamin D is implicated in various biological functions ranging from cellular proliferation to immunity. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of several diseases including coronary atherosclerosis. ⋯ We found no difference in mean plasma vitamin D levels between patients with ACS and controls. Differences in population characteristics between the two study groups including medications use and the lack of data on vitamin D, calcium and multivitamin supplements intake as well as the relatively small sample size of the populations could confound the results. Ethnic background, sex, age, body weight and SNPs in CYP24A1 and PLCB1 were independent determinants of plasma vitamin D levels.
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Nov 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialPlasma sodium and mortality risk in patients with myocardial infarction and a low LVEF.
Hyponatremia is a known prognostic factor for mortality in patients with heart failure but has not been extensively studied in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). This study was, therefore, designed to evaluate whether plasma sodium and hyponatremia (< 135 mM) are associated with mortality risk in patients with MI. ⋯ Hyponatremia and plasma concentrations of sodium are associated with long-term mortality risk in patients with MI complicated by left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Importantly, these associations are independent of renal function and use of diuretics. Whether the associations between plasma sodium or hyponatremia and long-term mortality risk reflect a causation or merely the severity of the underlying cardiac disease remains to be clarified.
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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.
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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.
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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.