Hippokratia
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Non-dipper hypertensive patients have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than dipper hypertensive patients. Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of CVD. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and dipper and non-dipper hypertension. ⋯ Median PLR was significantly higher in the non-dipper hypertensive patients than in the dipper hypertensive patients. We think this finding further supports the role of an increase in inflammatory response in non-dipper hypertension. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (2):114-118.
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The aim of the study was to determine the effect of oral N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on levels of serum oxidative stress biomarkers in hemodialysis patients. ⋯ It is suggested that treatment with NAC appears to be associated with restoration of important parameters of antioxidant defence and reduction in the levels of mediators of oxidative cellular damage. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (2):131-135.
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Case Reports
Coronary artery fistula connecting the left main coronary artery with the superior vena cava.
Coronary artery fistulas are rare congenital coronary artery abnormalities, with direct communication between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber, great vessel or other structure. ⋯ Angiographic recognition of coronary artery fistulas is important for the appropriate diagnosis and management of patients. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (2):186-188.
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Urate through NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-dependent caspase-1 activation stimulates macrophages to secrete inteleukin-1β (IL-1β). Urate also enhances adaptive immunity indirectly through its effect on antigen presenting cells. In this study, the direct effect of urate on isolated primary human T-cells was evaluated. ⋯ Urate, a well defined danger signal, stimulates directly human T-cells in a NLRP3 infmmasomela-dependent way. The subsequent IL-1β secretion could enhance inflammation, whereas expansion of T-cell clones could facilitate a subsequent adaptive immune response. Hippokratia 2015, 19 (1): 41-46.