H Haller

..In addition, we aimed to detect a potential link between the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and the Ang-2 levels...

..Here, we examine whether circulating Ang-1 and/or Ang-2 independently predict mortality in a cohort of critically ill medical patients...

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..The use of circulating Ang-1 and Ang-2 as novel biomarkers of endothelial integrity has therefore gained much attention. The preclinical characteristics and clinical applicability of angiopoietin immunoassays, however, remain elusive...

..Furthermore, the patients must be screened for occurrence of neoplasia. There are no prospective studies covering all cardiovascular risk factors after kidney transplantation. This pertains particularly to the subject of hypertension...

..We investigated whether treatment with an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) would delay or prevent the occurrence of microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes and normoalbuminuria...

..The ROADMAP study will answer the question whether an ARB can prevent or delay the onset of microalbuminuria and whether this translates into protection against cardiovascular events and renal disease...

..Such animal models improve our understanding of stem cell behavior in the kidney and may eventually contribute to novel therapies...

..Initial results using this new technique in clinical phase I/II studies on patients with acute renal failure are promising...

..Implementation of this approach in clinical practice, together with adherence to global hypertension management guidelines will help ensure patients achieve and sustain BP targets, and reduce the risk of CV events...

..In conclusion, lymphangiogenesis not only shows a clear association with cellular infiltrates but might also have an impact on the pathogenicity of these cellular infiltrates...

..Recently, the endothelial-specific Ang-Tie ligand-receptor system has been identified as a major regulator of vascular responsiveness to inflammatory stimuli...

..Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are thought to play a pivotal role in the regeneration of damaged endothelium. The aim of this study was to investigate whether EPCs are involved in vascular repair in AAV...

..Prevention of the potential pathogenetic factors identified in this study might be the key point to attain good long-term graft function...

..More recently, endothelial microparticles (EMPs) were found to be increased in active childhood vasculitis. The role of EMP in adult AAV and the relationship between EMP and CEC is unclear...

..Better understanding of early onset of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA), as the morphological surrogate of renal allograft deterioration might improve outcome after renal transplantation...

..This may be important because even within the normoalbuminuric range, higher rates of albuminuria are known to be associated with higher renal and cardiovascular risk...

..As detected by sequential biopsies, persistence of any inflammation including those infiltrates currently not considered by the Banff classification should be regarded as a morphological correlate of ongoing allograft damage...

..Endothelial microparticles might be an additional tool to diagnose and monitor cases of suspected vasculitic cardiac involvement in CSS...

..Although activation of p38MAPK has been previously shown in diabetes mellitus, our results indicate that blockade of the downstream MK2/Hsp25 signalling pathway does not interfere with the development of early diabetic nephropathy...

..Our results demonstrate that the local renal uPAR plays an important role in the apoptotic and inflammatory responses mediating IR-injury and transplant rejection...

..The data suggest a novel role for uPA/uPAR in glomeruli-associated renal failure via a signaling cross-talk between the fibrinolytic and immune systems...

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..Therefore, COX-2 inhibitors should be used with caution in renal transplant recipients and in patients with salt depletion and renal insufficiency...

..Clinical studies on the effect of ADMA are needed to further elucidate its pathophysiological role in atherosclerosis and uremia...

..However, decreased renal function should not be routinely ascribed to CNI...

..We evaluated whether a high level of resistance to flow in the segmental arteries of both kidneys (indicated by resistance-index values of at least 80) can be used prospectively to select appropriate patients for treatment...

..These results provide the first evidence that monocytes signal VSMCs by mechanisms involving the fibrinolytic system, and they imply an important link between the uPA/uPAR-related signaling machinery and human vascular disease...

..05). Therefore, treatment of hyperparathyroidism should be considered earlier and more often in these patients...

..45, p = 0.003) and SLE (r = 0.39, p = 0.02). In conclusion, CXCL13 is a stable serum marker for disease activity in SLE patients, but concomitant infections can also lead to increased CXCL13 levels...

..There is no established test predicting which patient will benefit from embolization; however, Doppler-determined resistive index may help in this regard...

..Thus, the early increase of ADMA levels may be of relevance for the excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to arterio- and atherosclerotic complications in patients with renal disease...

..Therefore, PKC-alpha is a possible therapeutic target for the prevention of diabetic albuminuria...

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..The chain of events may involve anti-inflammatory effects, with inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase activation and the redox-sensitive transcription factors nuclear factor-kappaB and activator protein-1...

..These results demonstrate that C5aR plays an important role in mediating acute kidney allograft rejection, suggesting that pharmaceutical targeting of C5aR may have potential in transplantation medicine...

..This review article summarizes the present knowledge on the cardiovascular and renal protective effects of erythropoietin and discusses the possible underlying mechanisms...

..Further studies must now evaluate the origin of these cells, corroborate the clinical significance of our findings, and delineate the influence of calcineurin inhibitors...

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..To study serum levels of leptin and ghrelin in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV)...

..Defining and targeting mediators of increased intracellular activation in the diabetic microvasculature will have important clinical and therapeutic benefits and help in the design of novel effective therapies in the near future...

..Further investigation is needed to establish polypeptide patterns in vascular rejection and to explore whether changes in the urinary proteome occur before the onset of histologically discernible rejection...

..We propose that high glucose-induced TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta-R1 expression is mediated by PKC-alpha. Our findings suggest an autocrine feedback mechanism and a possible role for PKC-alpha in diabetic vascular disease...

..Therefore, we assessed the relationship between OPN plasma levels and renal function in patients at different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD)...

..However, the greater than 5-fold increase in resistin blood levels apparently is not associated with deterioration in insulin sensitivity in patients with renal disease...

..We aimed at studying the effect of olmesartan and/or pravastatin on osteopontin plasma levels, and the association between vascular inflammation markers and osteopontin in hypertensive patients...

..To evaluate numbers of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) in ANCA associated vasculitis and compare vasculitic relapse with limited granulomatous disease...

..To study the prevalence of smoking at onset of symptoms in patients with small vessel vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)...

..Very recently, a clinical trial (in oncology) proved safety of a selective angiopoietin inhibitor. Those latest drugs might represent a future treatment option against CKD-associated micro-inflammation...

..Despite its low molecular weight, available information on the impact of hemodialysis (HD) on ADMA plasma levels is controversial...

..Osteopontin may play a role in the pathogenesis of AAV...

..Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) mediate vascular repair and regeneration. Their number in peripheral blood is related to cardiovascular events in individuals with normal renal function...

..The levofloxacin dosage, however, should be reduced according to the intensity of renal replacement therapy...

..Alternatively, the transport is mediated via a carrier molecule belonging to the importin/karyopherin superfamily, which transmits the import into the nucleus through the NPC...

..This shows that in contrast to only limited prolongation of graft survival in CCR7 knockout models, the therapeutic application of a CCR7 ligand in a wild-type environment provides a benefit in terms of immunosuppression...

..Because repression of CIN85 protein leads to a restored RTK signaling response, our results support an important role of CD2AP/CIN85 protein balance in the normal signaling response of podocytes...

..Because few predictors for DFS exist in the setting of allo-HSCT, Ang-2 may be used as a readily available powerful biomarker to pre-estimate DFS and may open new perspectives for risk-adapted treatment of high-risk myeloid malignancies...

..The purpose of the VALERIA trial was a comparison of the efficacy and safety of combination therapy of valsartan and lisinopril with valsartan and lisinopril high-dose monotherapy in patients with hypertension and microalbuminuria...

..This review article summarizes present knowledge of cardiovascular and renal protective effects of EPO and discusses possible underlying mechanisms...

..Longitudinal studies should explore the potential of this powerful diagnostic tool for early detection of diabetic renal damage...

..Protocol biopsies show a significantly lower incidence of C4d deposition than indication biopsies. Subclinical C4d detection in protocol biopsies had no significant impact on allograft survival in our series...

..The depressor response was mediated through sympathetic inhibition...

..Therefore, locally synthesized complement component C3 contributes to both humoral and cellular rejection, with tubular epithelial cells being a major source...

..sCXCL13, thus, may be a readily available surrogate marker for the diagnosis of PTLD and for monitoring of response to treatment in patients with initially elevated sCXCL13 levels...

..Thus, we think that caution is required, particularly in connection with preexisting glomerular disease...

..Our observations draw attention to the fact that extracorporeal therapies may initiate life-threatening complications in patients with severe eosinophilia...

..The miR-210 levels identify patients with acute rejection and predict long-term kidney function. Urinary miR-210 may thus serve as a novel biomarker of acute kidney rejection...

..Wider application is expected in multicenter clinical trials to predict and validate outcomes. The principal barrier to wider use of protocol biopsies is knowledge of the benefits of intervention...

..A multifactorial intervention leads to the best results and can avoid the occurrence or progression of diabetic kidney disease and other micro- and/or macrovascular complications...

..Our data suggest that PKCalpha activation may be an important intracellular signaling pathway in the regulation of nephrin expression and glomerular albumin permeability in the diabetic state...

..We explored whether biocompatible dialyzer membranes modulate the inflammatory response during blood contact in patients with systemic inflammation...

..Aldosterone antagonists are unique among diuretics because they improve survival in patients with heart failure independently of their effect on sodium metabolism...

..In addition to the antihypertensive properties, substance-specific effects of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been described. Primarily, instead of monotherapy low-dose combination therapy can also be judicious...

..Here, we ask whether serum levels of CXCL13 correlate with disease activity and renal involvement in SLE patients...

..Parathyroidectomy is associated with renal functional losses in transplant patients; cinacalcet offers an attractive alternative...

..We evaluated systemic cardiovascular effects of ADMA infusion in healthy subjects using invasive techniques, ie, right heart catheter and inulin/para-aminohippurate clearance...

..These could become part of combined clinical and histological algorithms, allowing patient-specific risk estimation and customized therapy options to be made...

..We tested the hypothesis that darbepoetin alfa [i.e., a recombinant analogue of the cytokine erythropoietin (EPO)] stimulates proliferation and differentiation of EPCs...

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..Identifying patients at risk for irreversible loss of renal function and who may benefit from intervention is a high research priority...

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..We have observed that the aged animal's provenance can be an overlooked factor accounting for such experimental heterogeneity...

..These data suggest a possible mechanism by which TNF-alpha inhibition enhances the risk of intracellular infections...

..Our results demonstrate that SHP-2 plays an important role in uPA-directed signaling and functional control of human VSMC and suggest that this phosphatase might contribute to the pathogenesis of the uPA-related vascular remodeling...

..Here, we ask whether circulating Ang-2 correlates with the severity of endothelial damage in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) with renal involvement...

..A renal resistance index value of greater-than-or-equal to 80 reliably identifies patients at risk for progressive renal disease...

..These direct effects could play a key role in the treatment concepts of podocytopathies with an important impact on the long-term renal function in patients with pharmacological immunosuppression...

..The endogenous NO synthase inhibitor ADMA is significantly associated with progression of nondiabetic kidney diseases. Lowering plasma ADMA concentrations may be a novel therapeutic target to prevent progressive renal impairment...

..We aimed at studying the effect of ARB and/or 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA blockade on Ang-2 and the association between vascular inflammation markers and Ang-2 levels in hypertensive patients...

..In uremic patients, the number of functionally active EPCs is reduced. Thus, we assessed EPCs in stable patients 6 months or more after renal transplantation...

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..Angiotensin II receptor antagonists increase the number of regenerative EPCs in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This action may be of therapeutic relevance contributing to their beneficial cardiovascular effects...

..These observations provide a novel marker to investigate microvascular endothelial damage and the effects of different conditioning regimens in patients undergoing HSCT...