Six-minute walk test and quality-of-life in heart failure: a correlative study with a Brazilian sample / Test de la caminata de seis minutos y calidad de vida en insuficiencia cardíaca: un estudio correlativo con una muestra brasileña / Teste de caminhada de seis minutes e qualidade de vida na insuficiência cardíaca: Um estudo correlativo com uma amostra brasileira

Background. Quality-of-life and functional capacity in heart failure are, actually, between the most investigated topics in the scientific community. Patient's self perceptions and exercise capacity can help health professionals with prognosis and decisions in heart failure treatment. Specifically in Brazil, the research on quality-of-life still needs to focus on the differences in the multifactor aspects of heart failure. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between quality-of-life and functional capacity in a sample of Brazilian heart failure patients. Methods. 30 male heart failure patients were included in the study. Quality-of-life was assessed by the Brazilian version of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire and the functional capacity through the six-minute walk test. Differences in quality-of-life among the functional classes were evaluated through the analysis of variance and the association between the variables was assessed through Pearson's coefficient. Results. Quality-of-life decreased significantly according to functional class (functional class I= 20±11, class II= 35.9±18 and class III= 58.3±24) and correlated significantly to the distance (r=-0.62, p=0.004). Conclusions. Longer distances obtained in the six-minute walk test can be interpreted as a better quality-of-life in Brazilian heart failure patients.

Fundamentação. Qualidade-de-vida e capacidade funcional na insuficiência cardíaca estão, atualmente, entre os tópicos mais investigados na comunidade científica. As autopercepções e a capacidade de exercício dos pacientes podem ajudar as profissionais de saúde com o prognóstico e as decisões no tratamento da insuficiência cardíaca. Especificamente no Brasil, a pesquisa em qualidade-de-vida ainda precisa focar nas diferenças nos aspectos multifatoriais da insuficiência cardíaca. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a correlação entre qualidade-de-vida e capacidade funcional em uma amostra brasileira de pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca. Métodos. Foram incluídos no estudo trinta pacientes masculinos com insuficiência cardíaca. A qualidade-de-vida foi avaliada pela versão brasileira do Questionário Minnesota Living With Heart Failure e a capacidade funcional pelo teste de caminhada de seis minutos. Foram avaliadas diferenças em qualidade-de-vida entre as classes funcionais pela análise de variância, e a associação entre as variáveis foi avaliada pelo coeficiente de Pearson. Resultados. A qualidade-de-vida diminuiu significativamente de acordo com classe funcional (classe funcional I=20±11, classe II=35,9±18 e classe III=58,3±24) e correlacionou-se significativamente com a distância (r=0,62, p=0,004). Conclusões. Distâncias mais longas obtidas no Teste de caminhada de seis minutos podem ser interpretadas como uma qualidade-de-vida melhor em pacientes de parada cardíaca brasileiros.

Proteinuria in diabetic kidney disease: a mechanistic viewpoint.

Proteinuria is the hallmark of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and is an independent risk factor for both renal disease progression, and cardiovascular disease. Although the characteristic pathological changes in DKD include thickening of the glomerular basement membrane and mesangial expansion, these changes per se do not readily explain how patients develop proteinuria. Recent advances in podocyte and glomerular endothelial cell biology have shifted our focus to also include these cells of the glomerular filtration barrier in the development of proteinuria in DKD. This review describes the pathophysiological mechanisms at a cellular level which explain why patients with DKD develop proteinuria.

Elevated uric acid increases blood pressure in the rat by a novel crystal-independent mechanism.

An elevation in circulating serum uric acid is strongly associated with the development of hypertension and renal disease, but whether uric acid has a causal role or whether it simply indicates patients at risk for these complications remains controversial. We tested the hypothesis that uric acid may have a causal role in the development of hypertension and renal disease by examining the effects of mild hyperuricemia in rats. Mild hyperuricemia was induced in rats by providing a uricase inhibitor (oxonic acid) in the diet. Hyperuricemic rats developed elevated blood pressure after 3 weeks, whereas control rats remained normotensive. The development of hypertension was prevented by concurrent treatment with either a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (allopurinol) or a uricosuric agent (benziodarone), both of which lowered uric acid levels. Blood pressure could also be lowered by reducing uric acid levels with either allopurinol or oxonic acid withdrawal. A direct relationship was found between blood pressure and uric acid (r=0.75, n=69), with a 10-mm Hg blood pressure increase for each 0.03-mmol/L (0.5-mg/dL) incremental rise in serum uric acid. The kidneys were devoid of urate crystals and were normal by light microscopy. However, immunohistochemical stains documented an ischemic type of injury with collagen deposition, macrophage infiltration, and an increase in tubular expression of osteopontin. Hyperuricemic rats also exhibited an increase in juxtaglomerular renin and a decrease in macula densa neuronal NO synthase. Both the renal injury and hypertension were reduced by treatment with enalapril or L-arginine. In conclusion, mild hyperuricemia causes hypertension and renal injury in the rat via a crystal-independent mechanism, with stimulation of the renin-angiotensin system and inhibition of neuronal NO synthase.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF121) protects rats from renal infarction in thrombotic microangiopathy.

BACKGROUND: Renal thrombotic microangiopathy, typified by the hemolytic uremic syndrome, is associated with endothelial cell injury in which the presence of cortical necrosis, extensive glomerular involvement, and arterial occlusive lesions correlates with a poor clinical outcome. We hypothesized that the endothelial survival factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may provide protection. METHOD: Severe, necrotizing, thrombotic microangiopathy was induced in rats by the renal artery perfusion of antiglomerular endothelial antibody, followed by the administration of VEGF or vehicle, and renal injury was evaluated. RESULTS: Control rats developed severe glomerular and tubulointerstitial injury with extensive renal necrosis. The administration of VEGF significantly reduced the necrosis, preserved the glomerular endothelium and arterioles, and reduced the number of apoptotic cells in glomeruli (at 4 hours) and in the tubulointerstitium (at 4 days). The prosurvival effect of VEGF for endothelium may relate in part to the ability of VEGF to protect endothelial cells from factor-induced apoptosis, as demonstrated for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which was shown to be up-regulated through the course of this model of renal microangiopathy. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression was preserved in VEGF-treated rats compared with its marked decrease in the surviving glomeruli and interstitium of the antibody-treated rats that did not receive VEGF. CONCLUSIONS: VEGF protects against renal necrosis in this model of thrombotic microangiopathy. This protection may be mediated by maintaining endothelial nitric oxide production and/or preventing endothelial cell death.

Intravenous immunoglobulin protects against experimental thrombotic microangiopathy.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been utilized in several forms of vasculitis and has many potential mechanisms of action, including the inhibition of C3 activation. We have previously demonstrated that IVIG can reduce glomerular injury in a model of membranous nephropathy mediated by C5b-9 [1]. C5b-9 has also been shown to mediate the thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) induced by antibody to glomerular endothelial cells leading to a hemolytic uremic syndrome-type lesion [2]. METHODS: To test the hypothesis that IVIG might be effective in treating antibody-induced TMA, male uninephrectomized rats underwent right renal artery perfusion with goat anti-rat glomerular endothelial cell (GEN) antibody (20 mg/kg). Sheep IgG (200 mg/kg) was administered either 30 minutes before the renal artery perfusion (group I, N = 6) or 30 minutes postperfusion (group II, N = 9). A third control group received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; group III, N = 12). A survival biopsy was performed at 15 minutes, and the animals were sacrificed on day 2. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in proteinuria or hematocrit between the groups. Animals pretreated with IVIG had significantly improved survival and renal function, which was associated with a decrease in glomerular C3 deposition. The protective effect of IVIG was abolished if the administration was delayed 30 minutes after perfusion. CONCLUSIONS: IVIG is effective in reducing injury in experimental TMA only if given prophylactically. The effect is mediated by inhibition of local intraglomerular complement activation.

Hyperuricemia exacerbates chronic cyclosporine nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Hyperuricemia frequently complicates cyclosporine (CSA) therapy. The observation that longstanding hyperuricemia is associated with chronic tubulointerstitial disease and intrarenal vasoconstriction raised the hypothesis that hyperuricemia might contribute to chronic CSA nephropathy. METHODS: CSA nephropathy was induced by the administration of CSA (15 mg/kg/day) for 5 and 7 weeks to rats on a low salt diet (CSA group). The effect of hyperuricemia on CSA nephropathy was determined by blocking the hepatic enzyme uricase with oxonic acid (CSA-OA). Control groups included rats treated with vehicle (VEH) and oxonic acid alone (OA). Histological and functional studies were determined at sacrifice. RESULTS: CSA treated rats developed mild hyperuricemia with arteriolar hyalinosis, tubular injury and striped interstitial fibrosis. CSA-OA treated rats had higher uric acid levels in association with more severe arteriolar hyalinosis and tubulointerstitial damage. Intrarenal urate crystal deposition was absent in all groups. Both CSA and CSA-OA treated rats had increased renin and decreased NOS1 and NOS3 in their kidneys, and these changes are more evident in CSA-OA treated rats. CONCLUSION: An increase in uric acid exacerbates CSA nephropathy in the rat. The mechanism does not involve intrarenal uric acid crystal deposition and appears to involve activation of the renin angiotensin system and inhibition of intrarenal nitric oxide production.

Post-cyclosporine-mediated hypertension and nephropathy: amelioration by vascular endothelial growth factor.

Recent studies have demonstrated a role for microvascular and tubulointerstitial injury in some models of salt-sensitive hypertension. We utilized a model of post-cyclosporin A (CsA) nephropathy and hypertension to test the hypothesis that treatment with an angiogenic factor aimed at ameliorating the microvascular and renal injury would prevent the development of hypertension. CsA was administered with a low-salt diet for 45 days, resulting in a renal lesion characterized by afferent arteriolopathy, focal peritubular capillary loss, and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Rats were then placed on a high-salt diet and randomized to receive either vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF(121)) or vehicle for 14 days. Placement of rats with established CsA nephropathy on a high-salt diet results in the rapid development of salt-sensitive hypertension. VEGF(121) treatment resulted in lower blood pressure, and this persisted on discontinuing the VEGF. VEGF(121) treatment was also associated with a decrease in osteopontin expression, macrophage infiltration, and collagen III deposition and markedly stimulated resolution of the arteriolopathy (20.9 +/- 7.8 vs. 36.9 +/- 6.1%, VEGF vs. vehicle, P < 0.05). In conclusion, CsA-associated renal microvascular and tubulointerstitial injury results in the development of salt-sensitive hypertension. Treatment of animals with established CsA nephropathy with VEGF reduces the hypertensive response and accelerates histological recovery. The vascular protective effect of VEGF may be due to the improvement of arteriolopathy. Angiogenic growth factors may represent a novel strategy for treating CsA-associated hypertension and renal disease.

Impaired angiogenesis in the aging kidney: vascular endothelial growth factor and thrombospondin-1 in renal disease.

We investigated the relationship of changes in the microvasculature to age-related structural and functional changes in the kidney to determine whether there was evidence of impaired angiogenesis and whether the loss of microvasculature could be accounted for by changes in the local production of angiogenic or antiangiogenic factors. Glomerular and peritubular capillary number, density, and endothelial cell proliferation were determined in aging (24 months; n = 9) and young (3 months; n = 8) rat kidneys and correlated with renal functional and structural changes and alterations in renal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). Aging rats showed a focal decrease in both peritubular capillary (peritubular capillary staining, 5.4% +/- 1.8% versus 11.3% +/- 2.0% per 100 tubules; rarefaction index, 10.6% +/- 4.6% versus 0.6% +/- 0.1%, aging versus young rats; P < 0.05 and P: < 0.001, respectively) and glomerular capillary loops (27.3 +/- 6.9 versus 50.7 +/- 7.4/glomerulus, aging versus young rats; P < 0.001). The number of proliferating endothelial cells was decreased in aging rats compared with young rats (glomerular, 0.04 +/- 0.01 versus 0.15 +/- 0.03 positive cells/glomerular cross-section; peritubular, 0.7 +/- 0.2 versus 4.3 +/- 2.6 positive cells/mm(2); P < 0.05). In the aging kidney, VEGF expression was focally increased in the cortex compared with young rats, whereas a profound decrease was observed in the outer and inner medulla (total area of VEGF expression, 19.2% +/- 11.4% versus 39.3% +/- 7.6%; P < 0.05). Tubular VEGF expression correlated with peritubular capillary density (r(2) = 0.57; P < 0.01) and inversely correlated with tubular osteopontin (r(2) = -0.55; P < 0.05) and macrophage infiltration (r(2) = -0.64; P < 0.01). TSP-1 staining was increased in the glomeruli and tubulointerstitium of the aging rats. Glomerular TSP-1 score correlated inversely with glomerular capillary number (r(2) = -0.89; P < 0.001). Tubulointerstitial TSP-1 also correlated with percentage of positive staining of peritubular capillary (r(2) = -0.59; P < 0.001). Glomerular capillary number showed significant correlation with glomerulosclerosis score, as well as with 24-hour urinary protein excretion. Peritubular capillary density also inversely correlated with interstitial fibrosis score and urinary protein excretion. In conclusion, glomerular and peritubular capillary loss in the aging kidney correlate with alterations in VEGF and TSP-1 expression and also with the development of glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. These findings suggest that impaired angiogenesis associated with progressive loss in renal microvasculature may have a pivotal role in age-related nephropathy.

Vascular endothelial growth factor accelerates renal recovery in experimental thrombotic microangiopathy.

BACKGROUND: Renal microvascular injury characterizes thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). The possibility that angiogenic growth factors may accelerate recovery in TMA has not been studied. METHODS: TMA was induced in rats by the selective right renal artery perfusion of antiglomerular endothelial cell IgG (30 mg/kg). Twenty-four hours later, rats received vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF121, 100 microg/kg/day) or vehicle (control) daily until day 14. To evaluate renal function, the unperfused left kidney was removed at day 14, and rats were sacrificed at day 17. RESULTS: The induction of TMA was associated with loss of glomerular and peritubular capillary endothelial cells and decreased arteriolar density at day 1. Some spontaneous capillary recovery was present by day 17; however, repair was incomplete, and severe tubulointerstitial damage occurred. The lack of complete microvascular recovery was associated with reduced VEGF immunostaining in the outer medulla. VEGF-treated rats had more glomeruli with intact endothelium, less glomerular ischemia (collapsed glomeruli), and greater peritubular capillary density with less peritubular capillary loss. This was associated with less tubulointerstitial fibrosis, less cortical atrophy, and improved renal function. CONCLUSIONS: VEGF accelerates renal recovery in this experimental model of TMA. These studies suggest that angiogenic growth factors may provide a new therapeutic strategy for diseases associated with endothelial cell injury.

Autosomal dominant Alport syndrome caused by a COL4A3 splice site mutation.

BACKGROUND: Alport syndrome (AS) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous renal disorder, predominantly affecting the type IV collagen alpha 3/alpha 4/alpha 5 network of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). AS can be caused by mutations in any of the three genes encoding these type IV collagen chains. The majority of AS families (85%) are X-linked (XL-AS) involving mutations in the COL4A5 gene. Mutations in the COL4A3 and COL4A4 genes cause autosomal recessive AS (AR-AS), accounting for approximately 14% of the cases. Recently, autosomal dominant AS (AD-AS) was linked to the COL4A3/COL4A4 locus in a large family. METHODS: COL4A3 and COL4A4 cDNAs were generated by nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and were analyzed by DNA sequence analysis. Denaturating high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) was used for mutation and segregation analysis at the genomic DNA level. RESULTS: In the AD-AS family, a splice site mutation resulting in skipping of exon 21 of the COL4A3 gene was detected. The mutation does not alter the reading frame and is predicted to result in a COL4A3 chain with an internal deletion. CONCLUSION: As the NC domain is intact, this chain may be incorporated and distort the collagen triple helix, thereby causing the dominant effect of the mutation. The finding of a specific COL4A3 mutation in AD-AS completes the spectrum of type IV collagen mutations in all genetic forms of AS.

Treatment of hepatitis C-associated glomerular disease.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure; however it is also associated with a wide range of extrahepatic features. Renal manifestations include cryoglobulinemic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and membranous nephropathy. Treatment of HCV with alpha-interferon is only moderately effective and suffers from a high relapse rate. More recently, combination therapy with ribavirin has led to improved suppression of HCV RNA levels. In this review we briefly describe the features of renal disease associated with HCV infection and discuss the therapeutic options.

Improved prognosis for congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type in Irish families.

Congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type is a rare autosomal recessive disease with a high infant mortality without aggressive treatment. The biochemical basis of the disease is not understood fully but the disease locus has been mapped recently to chromosome 19q12-q13.1 in Finnish families. This paper describes the clinical features and outcome of 20 patients in Ireland with congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type who have presented since 1980. Before 1987, all infants died by the age of 3 years. After the introduction of daily intravenous albumin infusion, nutritional support, elective bilateral nephrectomy, and renal transplantation, mortality in the past decade has fallen to 30%, with no deaths in the past five years. Genetic linkage analysis was performed in six families in whom DNA was available and the locus responsible was mapped to the same region on chromosome 19 as in Finnish families, suggesting that Irish families share the same disease locus.

Experimental mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (the anti-Thy-1.1 model).

The anti-Thy-1.1 model is a rat model of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis characterized by initial mesangiolysis followed by mesangial cell proliferation and accumulation of mesangial matrix with subsequent resolution and the return to almost normal histology. In this review we discuss the pathogenesis of the initial injury, the mechanisms governing mesangial cell proliferation and matrix expansion, and some of the processes involved in the resolution of glomerular injury. Understanding these processes of mesangial cell injury and recovery may provide insights into the pathogenesis of human mesangial cell diseases such as IgA nephropathy.

Autosomal dominant Alport syndrome linked to the type IV collage alpha 3 and alpha 4 genes (COL4A3 and COL4A4).

BACKGROUND: Alport syndrome is a hereditary nephritis that may lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in young adult life and is often associated with sensorineural deafness and/or ocular abnormalities. The majority of families are X-linked due to mutations in the COL4A5 gene at Xq22. Autosomal forms of the disease are also recognized with recessive disease, having been shown to be due to mutations in the COL4A3 and COL4A4 genes on chromosome 2. Familial benign haematuria has also been mapped to this region in some families. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We describe a large family with autosomal dominant Alport syndrome in which males and females are equally severely affected and one member with a mild sensorineural deafness reached ESRD aged 35 years. Renal biopsy in four affected patients demonstrated characteristic thickened and split glomerular basement membranes on electron-microscopy. RESULTS: Genetic linkage analysis using markers on chromosome 2q demonstrated co-segregation of the disease with the markers D2S351 and D2S401 with a maximum lod score of 3.4 at zero recombination. Linkage to the COL4A4 gene was confirmed using an intragenic COL4A4 polymorphism. Mutation analysis has revealed a missense Leu36Pro mutation in exon 5 of the adjacent COL4A3 gene in the unaffected mother, which may lead to a more severe phenotype in affected family members carrying this mutation. CONCLUSION: Mutations in the COL4A3 and COL4A4 genes can cause a spectrum of glomerular basement membrane disease ranging from autosomal recessive Alport syndrome to autosomal dominant Alport syndrome and familial benign haematuria.

Von Hippel-Lindau disease: an important differential diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease.

Von Hippel Lindau disease is a dominantly inherited familial cancer syndrome, characterized by retinal, spinal, and cerebellar haemangioblastomas, renal cell carcinomas, and phaeochromocytomas. Cysts of the kidney and pancreas may also occur. We describe a large three-generation Irish family with VHL disease who initially presented with features typical of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Eight clinically affected individuals were found. Visceral complications were particularly prominent within the family. There were no cases of retinal angiomata or phaeochromocytoma. The diagnosis was confirmed by genetic linkage analysis in this family, although the exact mutation has yet to be defined.

Glial cell-specific mechanisms of TGF-beta 1 induction by IL-1 in cerebral cortex.

Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta 1) immunoreactive product (IRP) has recently been detected in autopsied brains of individuals who died with central nervous system diseases and/or fever but not in normal individuals or in normal rodent brain. However, the mechanism(s) of induction of TGF-beta 1 in brain and the identity of cells expressing TGF-beta 1 need to be understood before a role, if any, for this potent pleiotropic cytokine in neuropathogenesis can be discerned. Towards this end we determined that IL-1 stimulated the production of TGF-beta 1 IRP in cells and TGF-beta 1 activity in culture fluids of all glial cells, astrocytes, microglial cells, and oligodendrocytes, derived from neonatal rat cortex and grown in cell type-enriched cultures. TGF-beta 1 production in vitro varied with the cell type and isoform of IL-1. Oligodendrocytes produced the most and astrocytes the least amount of TGF-beta 1. IL-1 alpha stimulated TGF-beta 1 production in all glial cell types, whereas IL-1 beta did not. In vivo, TGF-beta 1 IRP was detected in human tissues from cerebral frontal cortex and subcortical white matter only when interleukin-1 (IL-1) was elevated in the same tissues. Moreover, the amount of detectable TGF-beta 1 was positively correlated with the amount of detectable IL-1 (rho = 0.605; P = 0.003), as determined by morphometry. Double-labelling of cells for their phenotypic markers and expression of TGF-beta 1 indicated that all glial cells, but not neurons, expressed TGF-beta 1. IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta IRPs were also detected in all three glial cell types, most frequently in astrocytes and least frequently in microglial cells. The cells containing both cytokine IRPs were also detected. These results indicate that TGF-beta 1 may be induced by IL-1 in all glial cells of the frontal cortex, by both autocrine and paracrine mechanisms.

Information on a shoestring: a practical database at an adolescent pregnancy program.

Adolescent pregnancy programs provide services to a socially high risk population with complex and continuing needs. Data describing the characteristics of the patient population is useful for directing program efforts, examining program outcomes, and documenting the need for additional services. The Rochester Adolescent Maternity Program has developed a simple, inexpensive data collection system in which demographic, social and reproductive information is routinely collected on all program patients. Such a system could be of use to other adolescent maternity programs.