Therapeutic augmentation of NO-sGC-cGMP signalling: lessons learned from pulmonary arterial hypertension and heart failure

Heart Failure Reviews - The nitric oxide (NO)–guanylate cyclase (GC)–cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway plays an important role in cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal...     

Treatment strategies for hypertension in patients with type 1 diabetes

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic, autoimmune disease that is characterized by total absence of insulin production. Hypertension is a common comorbidity in T1DM with complex pathophysiology, while it is also a well-recognized risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as other microvascular diabetic complications.     

A rare case of gigantic calyx dilatation manifested as renal ectopia

We present a very rare case of gigantic hydrocalycosis which was caused by an obstructed stone. It was so large that it displaced the rest kidney into the contralateral lumbar fossa giving the appearance of a crossed ectopic kidney.     

A case of epidermoid cyst of the testis role of conservative surgery.

We report one case of an epidermoid cyst of the testis in a 15 year-old boy. Pre-operative testicular ultrasound may help to establish the diagnosis without resorting to orchiectomy. In such a selected case local excision alone should be considered adequate without violating accepted surgical principles.     

Mesenteric panniculitis of the sigmoid. A case report and review of the literature

Mesenteric panniculitis is an extremely rare disease in which the normal fatty architecture of the mesentery is replaced by fibrosis, necrosis and calcification. One hundred twenty-four cases of mesenteric panniculitis have been described in the literature; only five of these involved the sigmoid mesentery. The following case report is of mesenteric panniculitis confined to the sigmoid colon. Symptomatology, pathology, treatment and outcome of this disorder are discussed. It seems that this disease is a well established clinical entity of unknown etiology with a benign course and favorable outcome. Radical surgical treatment is not advised. If mesenteric panniculitis is encountered at operation, biopsy to establish the diagnosis is indicated. If the mechanical effects are significant, they should be corrected.     

HLA-DR antigen expression and lymphocyte subsets in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. An immunohistological study on frozen sections

Lymphocyte subpopulations (B cells, CD4, CD8), interleukin-20 receptors (IL-2), monocytes/macrophages (Leu M₅), and HLA-DR antigen expression were studied immunohistochemically on frozen sections from 38 bladder cancer specimens. T cells predominated over B cells in all tumours. CD4-positive lymphocytes predominated over CD8 in the stroma (CD4/CD8: 1·35/1), while in epithelial tumour cells CD8 was the prominent subpopulation (CD8/CD4: 1·75/1). Aberrant HLA-DR expression was found in 21·05 per cent of bladder tumours. A strong correlation between CD4 and CD8 population densities and macrophages with the other subpopulations was noticed. In HLA-DR-positive tumours, there was no correlation of the percentage of positive cells with CD4- and CD8-positive lymphocyte populations. Various parameters including IL-2 receptors, B cells, CD8- and CD4-positive cells, and macrophages did not differ significantly between the groups of tumours expressing and not expressing HLA-DR antigen. There were no statistically significant differences in the population densities of B cells, CD8- or CD4-positive cells, IL-2 receptor, monocytes/macrophages, and HLA-DR antigen expression among various clinicopathological parameters, including growth pattern, histological grade and clinical stage or patient's age and sex. These findings suggest that in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, HLA-DR antigen expression is independent of lymphocyte subpopulations. It is therefore possible that HLA-DR expression by tumour cells reflect the existence of separate HLA-DR-positive or HLA-DR-negative tumour clones.     

Primary seminoma of the retroperitoneum

A rare case of primary seminoma in the retroperitoneum is described. Ultrasound detected a huge hypoechoic mass and correlative computed tomography showed a midline, homogeneous, lobulated mass in a man who presented for anuria. Received: 1 April 1999; Revised: 28 June 1999; Accepted: 27 July 1999