Cholesterol lowering treatment restores blood global DNA methylation in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by increased oxidative stress (OS). In consideration of the well-known link between OS and DNA methylation we assessed DNA methylcytosine (mCyt) concentrations in CKD patients at baseline and during cholesterol lowering treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: DNA methylation and OS indices (malonyldialdehyde, MDA; allantoin/uric acid ratio, All/UA) were measured in 30 CKD patients randomized to three cholesterol lowering regimens for 12 months (simvastatin 40 mg/day, ezetimibe/simvastatin 10/20 mg/day, or ezetimibe/simvastatin 10/40 mg/day) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. DNA methylation was significantly lower in CKD patients vs. controls (4.06 ± 0.20% vs. 4.27 ± 0.17% mCyt, p = 0.0001). Treatment significantly increased mCyt DNA concentrations in all patients (4.06 ± 0.04% at baseline; 4.12 ± 0.03% at 4 months; 4.17 ± 0.03% at 8 months; and 4.20 ± 0.02% at 12 months, p = 0.0001 for trend). A trend for a greater effect on DNA methylation was observed with combined treatment ezetimibe/simvastatin 10/40 mg/day (+5.2% after one year treatment). The treatment-associated mCyt increase was significantly correlated with the concomitant reduction in MDA concentrations and All/AU ratios. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that CKD patients have a lower degree of DNA methylation and that cholesterol lowering treatment restores mCyt DNA concentrations to levels similar to healthy controls. The treatment-associated increase in DNA methylation is correlated with a concomitant reduction in OS markers. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00861731).

Chronic infrarenal aortic occlusion: predictors of surgical outcome in patients undergoing aortobifemoral bypass reconstruction.

AIM: Chronic infrarenal aortic occlusion is relatively infrequent. Aortobifemoral bypass has been the traditional treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic factors related to long-term survival and patency rates of chronic infrarenal aortic occlusion after aortobifemoral bypass. METHODS: From January 1984 to December 2004, we performed consecutively 278 aortobifemoral for aortoiliac occlusive disease. Of these, 67 (24%) patients, 62 men (92.5%), presented with ischemia due to aortic occlusion. The log-Rank test was used to determine predictors of long-term survival and graft patency in a univariate analysis. With a model of proportional-hazards Cox regression the independent prognostic factors of long-term survival were determined. RESULTS: The postoperative mortality was 8.9%. The estimated cumulative long-term survival for aortic occlusion patients was 56% and 38% at 10 and 20 years, respectively. The estimated cumulative primary patency was 79% at 10 years and 40% at 20 years. The 20-year limb survival rate was 86%. There was no statistical difference in long-term survival and graft patency between TASCIC-D and IRAO. Previous coronary disease (P=0.008) and postoperative complications (P=0.017) significantly decreased the survival of patients. Both variables retained significance on multivariable analysis. The presence of chronic renal failure significantly decreased the patency of the aortobifemoral bypass (P=0.013). CONCLUSION: Aortobifemoral bypass for chronic infrarenal aortic occlusion has an excellent primary patency rate with reasonable morbi-mortality. The presence of concomitant coronary disease and postoperative complications are prognostic factors of long-term survival.

Aneurisma de la arteria renal: análisis de un caso / Renal artery aneurysm: a case analysis

Introducción. Los aneurismas de arteria renal (AAR) son poco frecuentes, y se precisa su cribado en mujeres hipertensas y jóvenes, grupo de población donde su incidencia es más alta. Presentamos un caso de una paciente tratada quirúrgicamente con éxito. Caso clínico. Mujer de 49 años con antecedentes de fibromialgia y tuberculosis pleural y pulmonar. En el transcurso de un estudio de protocolo por hipertensión arterial, con exploración física y pruebas complementarias generales normales, se evidenció en la angiografía venosa una imagen sugestiva de aneurisma sacular bilobulado en la trifurcación de arteria renal derecha, que se confirmó con arteriografía renal. Mediante TC abdominal se objetivó un diámetro de 1,5 cm, que en controles posteriores aumentó, y alcanzó 2,2 cm en los últimos 6 meses, por lo que se indicó reparación quirúrgica. Durante la intervención se identificaron dos aneurismas en la trifurcación de la arteria. Se realizó ex situ resección de los dos aneurismas, y reconstrucción arterial con injerto de safena autóloga invertida (tiempo de isquemia fría de 100 minutos). El postoperatorio cursó favorablemente. En la actualidad la paciente está asintomática y sin ninguna complicación. Conclusión. Cuando se objetiva un AAR que requiere tratamiento quirúrgico, la reconstrucción arterial ex vivo es una alternativa válida y recomendable (AU)

[Histological and ultrastructural characteristics of jaw-closing muscles. A review]. / Caratteristiche istologiche ed ultrastrutturali dei muscoli elevatori mandibolari. Revisione della letteratura.

The aim of this work is giving, through a wide literature review, a detailed analysis of the histological and ultrastructural characteristics that distinguish masseter and temporal muscles from the other skeletal muscles. Furthermore we'll explain the functional meanings of these differences. We developed the following points: fibre type composition and relative frequency of the various fibre types, fibre size, myosin composition, capillarization and age-related changes. With standard staining method for the myofibrillar ATPase, besides the two main fibre types, I and II, in the masticatory muscles a moderate share of IM fibres with intermediate stainability, which usually don't appear in adult skeletal muscles, are shown. The relative frequency of the various fibre types is also peculiar, with a prevalence of type I fibres in almost every portion of the masseter and temporal muscles, which therefore are functionally slow muscles. Another unusual characteristic is also the mean diameter of type I fibres, that are commonly larger than type II fibres. This finding suggests that masticatory muscles are adapted to carry out specially prolonged and fatiguing tasks. The findings about contractile protein patterns and the changes in myosin heavy chain composition during ageing are also relevant. The deep differences between jaw-closing and limb and trunk muscles are reviewed on the basis of their special functional activities.