LOCAL USE OF GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGES COLONY STIMULATING FACTOR IN TREATMENT OF CHRONIC DIABETIC NEUROPATHIC ULCER (CASE REVIEW).

One of the main causes of amputations in patients with Diabetes Mellitus patients is a chronic diabetic foot ulcer. The authors present a clinical case and discussion of a successful use of Granulocyte-Macrophages Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) treatment for the promotion of healing of a chronic diabetic foot ulcer. A 65 year-old woman was admitted to the Diabetes Center with complaints of a deep non-healing chronic foot ulcer for the last 18 months. At the examination a 5 cm ulcer on the plantar surface of the right foot was revealed. The patient had a 15-year history of Diabetes Mellitus type 2, complicated by neuropathy (peripheral and autonomic), retinopathy, nephropathy and Charcot joints in both legs and the right 4th toe had been amputation. She also had a history of heart failure. Healing of the ulcer could not be achieved with prior administered treatment. The decision was made to use GM-CSF treatment option in the area of the ulcer. Patient received local intradermal injections of GM-CSF (400 mcg twice a week) into the ulcerated foot for the duration of two months. The ulcer healed completely after one year of treatment with GM-CSF. Osteomyelitis was ruled out by scintigraphy. The patient did not develop any clinical side-effects or peripheral blood cell count abnormalities to the treatment. GM-CSF is a safe and effective treatment for chronic non-healing diabetic foot ulcers.

Role of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in hypertension of chronic kidney disease and renoprotection. Study results.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health problem associated with considerable morbidity and mortality and despite advances in the treatment of end stage renal disease (ESRD) mechanisms to prevent and delay its progression are still being sought. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays a pivotal role in many of the pathophysiologic changes that lead to progression of renal disease. Traditionally RAAS was considered as an endocrine system and its principal role was to maintain blood pressure (BP). In recent years local RAAS has been described to operate independently from systemic and local angiotensin II (AngII) in the kidney to contribute in hypertension and kidney damage. The benefits of strict BP control in slowing kidney disease progression have been demonstrated in several clinical trials and the question whether specific agents like angiotensin converting enzyme antagonists (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) provide renoprotective benefits beyond BP lowering is to be answered. Several studies support these agents reduce proteinuria and protect renal function, whereas the opposite is stated by others. According to guidelines, their use is recommended as first line agents in diabetic renal disease and non diabetic renal disease with albuminuria, whereas there is no data to support the same in non diabetic nonalbuminuric renal disease. Dual blockage of RAAS with the combination of ACEIs and ARBs could offer an alternative in strict RAAS blockade, but studies up to now can not prove its safety and the combination is not recommended until ongoing trials will provide new and unarguable results.

Adipogenesis and osteoblastogenesis: trans-differentiation in the pathophysiology of bone disorders.

Mesechymal stem cells as pluripotent cells are involved in the differentiation of adipocytes under regulation of genes and transcription factors. The plasticity observed between adipocytes and osteoblasts differentiation is the basis of transdifferentiation, observed in both experimental and clinical level. This review analyzes not only the adipose tissue as an endocrine organ but also the underlying mechanism of trans-differentiation between adipocytes and osteoblasts. Fat and bone tissue interaction is altered by activation or silencing of genes, signaling molecules and transcription factors. Disorders of this interaction include ectopic ossification syndromes and other bone disorders like osteoporosis and multiple myeloma. Further research will reveal the instinct mechanisms of this imbalance in the pathophysiology of many metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, atherogenesis e.t.c.

Pain and osteolysis of the thoracic spine--a case of a rare monostotic fibrous dysplasia manifestation.

We describe a case of a young farmer from Central Macedonia, Greece suffering of a mild back pain more than one year. His medical history included hypercholesterolaemia (IIa type) and two episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax of unknown origin two and three years ago respectively. A full imaging survey revealed a single osteolytic lesion at the seventh thoracic vertebra. A CT guided needle biopsy was performed. Diagnosis based on clinical, imaging and histological findings was monostotic fibrous dysplasia of the thoracic spine. We discuss the clinical features and treatment of this non neoplastic condition which may simulate bone osteolytic tumor. Furthermore a possible correlation of concomitant conditions existing in our patient such as the metabolic disorder of hypercholesterolaemia and especially the history of spontaneous pneumothorax episodes with fibrous dysplasia within the spectrum of connective tissue disorder is discussed.

Epidemiologic characteristics of hypertension in the civilians of Kosovo after the war.

34th Greek regimen, which was part of the NATO forces, provided medical services to the civilians of Kosovo. We studied epidemiologic data in the population of Kosovo regarding hypertension in order to determine the prevalence and characteristics of hypertension. 830 patients (281 - 33.86% male, 62 +/- 26 yrs and 549 - 66.14% female, 49 +/- 28 yrs) were examined for different diseases. We identified 254 (30.6%) patients with hypertension (188 female and 66 male). According to the international criteria used for the classification of the severity of hypertension, more than half of the patients (51.2%) had severe hypertension, 31.5% modest and 17.3% mild. Statistically significant relation between the severity of hypertension and age or sex was not found out. Increased BMI as well as the presence of proteinuria and rheumatic diseases were significantly related to the severity of the hypertension while the coexistent heart disease, diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) wasn't. The use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) was related to the severity of hypertension with a borderline significance. 31.4% of the patients were on treatment with NSAIDs and/or cortisone because of rheumatic disease or obstructive pulmonary disease. Overfunction of the sympathetic system was present in 62.99%. The mean heart rate was greater in women (84/min) than in men (72/min). 28.35% of the patients had secondary hypertension, including the patients on a drug that can elevate the blood pressure and patients with increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system. So, 8.6% of the patients had usual causes of secondary hypertension and 19.6% hypertension secondary related to the use of NSAIDs or cortisone, or due to the increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Antihypertensive treatment was started in 248 patients, i.e. in all of them except the ones already on treatment having their blood pressure well controlled. For antihypertensive treatment beta-blockers or central adrenergic inhibitors either as monotherapy or in combination with other agents were used most frequently combined with diuretics and Ca antagonists and ACE inhibitors. In conclusion the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in the population of Kosovo during the post war period had certain particularities.