Continuous culture of T cells with WT Mϕ prevented proliferation, but in contrast, when the T cells were removed from the WT Mϕ they were able to proliferate without further antigenic stimulation (Fig. 3). These data show that antigen presentation by Mϕ to T cells for 24 hr produces a T cell that is poised to divide, but is held in check by factors in the local microenvironment. Inhibition of T-cell proliferation by tumour-derived MDSC and inflammatory monocytes in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis has

been reported to be the result of the production of NO.27,28 Since TNFR1−/− BM-Mϕ do not produce NO in response to IFN-γin vitro, we wanted to test whether this deficiency was sufficient to explain the WT inhibition of T-cell proliferation, by restoring NO levels in the presence of TNFR1−/− BM-Mϕ. In cultures of OT-II T cells with either WT or TNFR1−/− Mϕ, we could significantly reduce NO production from selleckchem WT BM-Mϕ with the inhibitor N(G)-mono-methyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA), or raise NO levels to concentrations above those produced by WT BM-Mϕ with the NO

donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-l,l-penicillamine (SNAP) (Fig. 4a). Co-cultures of OT-II T cells and WT Mϕ that were treated with a concentration of l-NMMA that reduced NO production to the levels observed GDC-0973 in vitro in cultures with TNFR1−/− Mϕ (Fig. 4a and Supplementary Fig. S3) only partially restored proliferation (Fig. 4b). Furthermore, levels of NO that were associated with reduced T-cell proliferation in the context of WT BM-Mϕ, were not sufficient to inhibit the proliferation induced by TNFR1−/− BM-Mϕ (Fig. 4b and Supplementary

Fig. S3). Therefore, although some T-cell Amino acid suppression is the result of the presence of NO, NO alone is not sufficient to produce the complete spectrum of inhibitory effects induced by WT Mϕ. We then investigated other mechanisms by which Mϕ can regulate T-cell responses. The soluble factor PGE2 is produced by Mϕ in response to TNF-α29 and we found that culture of OT-II T cells with WT Mϕ in the presence of cognate peptide led to high levels of PGE2, whereas similar culture with TNFR1−/− Mϕ did not (Fig. 5a). As PGE2 has previously been associated with the differentiation of myeloid cells that inhibit T-cell responses in tumours,30 we examined whether its presence was a significant factor in the inhibition of T-cell proliferation by BM-Mϕ. We inhibited PGE2 production with COX inhibitors (SC-560, a COX-1 inhibitor, or indomethacin, a pan-COX inhibitor), which restored OT-II T-cell proliferation (Fig. 5b) to levels that were a third to a half as great as those induced by TNFR1−/− Mϕ. The addition of exogenous PGE2 led to a dose-dependent reduction in OT-II T-cell proliferation stimulated by TNFR1−/− Mϕ (Fig. 5c), and also inhibited WT NO production from WT Mϕ in co-culture. The effects of PGE2 are mediated through one or more of the four E prostanoid (EP) receptors, EP1, EP2, EP3 and EP4.

The mortality hazard ratios (95% CI) for the highest NEAP quartile

(72-145 mEq/d) were: (i) 0.75 (0.62-0.90) in the total population, (ii) 0.77 (0.51-1.17) in the low eGFR subgroup, and (iii) 0.75 (0.61-0.93) in the normal eGFR subgroup after adjusting for demographics, serum bicarbonate, eGFR, albuminuria, and comorbidities. The mortality hazard ratios in the second and third NEAP quartiles were similar to the lowest (reference) NEAP quartile in the total population and low and normal eGFR subgroups. Higher NEAP is not associated with higher mortality in people with low or normal eGFR. check details Future studies should consider the effect of modifying dietary acid and alkali intake on mortality and CKD progression in people with reduced eGFR. “
“Aims:  End-stage kidney disease

registries inform outcomes and policy. Data quality is crucial but difficult to measure objectively. We assessed agreement between incident cancer reported to the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) and to the Central Cancer Registry (CCR) in New South Wales. Methods:  ANZDATA records were linked to CCR using probabilistic matching. We calculated agreement between registries for patients with ≥1 cancers, all cancers and site-specific cancer using the kappa statistic (κ). We investigated cases where records disagreed and compared estimates of cancer risk based either on ANZDATA or on CCR using standardized incidence ratios (indirect standardization by age, sex and calendar Dinaciclib datasheet year).

Results:  From 1980 to 2001, 9453 residents had dialysis or transplantation. ANZDATA recorded 867 cancers in 779 (8.2%) registrants; CCR 867 cancers in 788 (8.3%). ANZDATA recorded 170 patients with cancer that CCR did not, CCR recorded 179 patients that ANZDATA did not (κ = 0.76). ANZDATA had sensitivity 77.3% (confidence Miconazole interval (CI) 74.2–80.2), specificity 98.1% (CI 97.7–98.3) if CCR records were regarded as the reference standard. Agreement was similar for diagnoses while receiving dialysis (κ = 0.78) or after transplantation (κ = 0.79), but varied by cancer type. Agreement was poorest for melanoma (κ = 0.61) and myeloma (κ = 0.47) and highest for lymphoma (κ = 0.80), leukaemia (κ = 0.86) and breast cancer (κ = 0.85). Artefact accounted for 20.8% of the non-concordance but error and misclassification did occur in both registries. Estimates of cancer risk based on ANZDATA or CCR records did not differ in any important way. Conclusion:  Agreement of cancer records between both registries was high and differences largely explicable. It is likely that both ANZDATA and CCR have some inaccuracies, for reasons that are now more explicit, with themes similar to those likely to be experienced by other registries. “
“On 22 February 2011, a large earthquake struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand. There was extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure.

This implies that 2B4–CD48 interaction might be involved actively in SLE. Furthermore, our study using 2B4-deficient mice showed that 2B4–CD48 interactions play a regulatory role in generating gender-specific immune Selumetinib ic50 responses. This gender-specific immune response was mediated by NK cells [34]. Thus, one could speculate that reduced expression of 2B4 on NK cells from SLE patients may be involved in the gender bias seen in SLE. Analysis of expression of CS1 isoforms indicates differential expression

of CS1-L and CS1-S isoform in SLE PBMCs, reminiscent of Ly108 expression in lupus-prone mice [59,60]. The CS1-S isoform does not contain two ITSMs and does not mediate signalling [38]. Healthy individuals express three- to sevenfold higher levels of CS1-L over CS1-S. In SLE

patients this expression ratio is altered, affecting signalling via CS1. We have also found that healthy individuals expressed five- to eightfold higher levels of h2B4-A than h2B4-B. However, some patients with SLE showed increased expression of h2B4-B, while some patients with SLE showed more predominance of h2B4-A over h2B4-B than in healthy controls. The structural difference between 2B4 and A and 2B4-B is found in the ligand binding region of the extracellular domain, and our recent study showed that h2B4-A and h2B4-B activate NK cells differentially upon CD48 interaction [23]. At present the ligand for h2B4-B is not known. If h2B4-B interacts

with an unidentified ligand, altered expression of h2B4-B in SLE may impact immune signalling in SLE. Further GDC-0449 cost studies on the functional consequences of altered expression of SLAM family receptors will greatly improve our understanding of SLE pathogenesis. Rebamipide This study was supported by UNT Health Science Center Seed grant G67704 and a grant from Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (to P. A. M.). We would also like to thank the nursing staff at JPS Hospital and Patient Care Center, UNT Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas for co-ordination in conducting the study. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Fig. S1. CS1-high expressing B cells are plasma cells. Total peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individual (a) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with active disease (b) were first analysed by CD19 versus CS1. CS1-high B cells (blue dots), CS1-low B cells (red dots) and CS1-negative negative B cells (green dots) were gated and the surface expression of CD27 is shown in histogram. As seen in (b), CS1-high expressing B cells express high levels of CD27 (mean fluorescence intensity: 25), indicating that they are plasma cells. Please note: Wiley-Blackwell are not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting materials supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing material) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

30972714; 81030054); and the Key Project of the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (No. BK2007730). “
“Human β defensin-3 (hBD-3) is an antimicrobial peptide with diverse functionality. We investigated the capacity Mitomycin C of hBD-3 and, for comparison, Pam3CSK4 and LL-37 to induce co-stimulatory molecules and chemokine expression in monocytes. These stimuli differentially induced CD80 and

CD86 on the surface of monocytes and each stimulant induced a variety of chemokines including monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), Gro-α, macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) and macrophage inflammatory protein 1β (MIP1β), while only hBD-3 and Pam3CSK4 significantly induced the angiogenesis factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Human BD-3 induced similar chemokines in monocyte-derived macrophages and additionally induced expression of Regulated upon activation normal T-cell expressed and presumably secreted (RANTES) in these cells. Comparison of monocytes from HIV+ and HIV–

donors indicated that monocytes from HIV+ donors were more likely to spontaneously express certain chemokines (MIP-1α, MIP-1β and MCP-1) and less able to increase expression of other molecules in response to hBD-3 (MDC, Gro-α and VEGF). Chemokine receptor expression (CCR5, CCR2 and CXCR2) was relatively normal in monocytes from HIV+ donors compared with cells from HIV– donors with the exception of diminished expression of the receptor for MDC, CCR4, which was reduced in the patrolling monocyte subset (CD14+ CD16++) of HIV+ donors. These observations implicate chemokine HM781-36B supplier induction by hBD-3 as a potentially important mechanism for orchestrating cell migration into inflamed tissues. Alterations in chemokine production or their receptors in monocytes of HIV-infected persons could influence cell migration and modify the effects of hBD-3 at sites of inflammation. Human β defensin-3 (hBD-3) is an inducible antimicrobial peptide that

is produced by epithelial cells. This molecule mediates the killing of microbes,[1] chemotaxis of CCR2+ cells such as monocytes[2] and activation of antigen-presenting cells (monocytes and myeloid dendritic cells[3, crotamiton 4]). These diverse functions indicate that hBD-3 could play an important role in both innate and adaptive defences. Increased expression of hBD-3 is observed in inflammatory microenvironments including psoriasis and oral carcinoma.[1, 5] Because monocytes are chemoattracted by hBD-3[5, 6] and can potentially migrate into inflamed tissues,[7] it is important to consider the functional effects of hBD-3 on these cells. Our previous studies identified Toll-like receptor 1/2 (TLR1/2) -dependent signalling as a mechanism by which hBD-3 could cause activation of these cells.[3] Human BD-3-mediated activation of monocytes induced expression of co-stimulatory molecules (CD80 and CD86) as well as expression of various cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β and IL-8.

However, these techniques remain limited in their ability to analyse

cell motility and interactions (e.g. between NKT cells and DCs) over extended time and distances in intact tissue, Pexidartinib manufacturer and to distinguish between individual cells in a labelled cell aggregate. As stated by Dr Ron Germain, ‘the most significant advance currently undergoing development in intravital imaging of the immune system is the combination of molecular imaging with measurements of the dynamics of single cells’.[54] The long-term goal is to attribute cellular movement and positioning to causal changes in cell signalling and gene expression in vivo. To achieve this goal, improvements in cell imaging are required and may include increases in the number of different colours used, tissue volume examined and number of cells imaged, duration of imaging sessions, and use of subcellular probes.[51, 54] The successful application of these novel technologies will depend largely on the development of new computer algorithms to analyse complex data sets of system biology approaches, including computer simulations.[135, 136] Additional studies may benefit from the imaging of higher quality sample preparations from less well-characterized tissues (e.g. gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, spleen and lung). Most importantly, it is envisaged that better diagnostic

procedures be achieved in the clinic by introducing learn more miniaturized imaging instruments and light delivery systems in endoscopes or implantable devices.[54] This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes

of Health, USA, R01 CA100660 and R01 AA020864 (VK) and from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) grants 24-2007-388 (TLD) and 24-2007-362 (VK). Additional support was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant MOP 64386 (TLD). CHIR-99021 cell line The authors declare no conflict of interest. “
“Cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli has been increasingly reported worldwide. In this study, 32 cephalosporin resistant E. coli isolates identified from cancer patients in Cairo, Egypt in 2009–2010 were analyzed. Twenty-three were of phylogenetic group D, seven A and one each B1 and B2. By rep-PCR 15 phylogroup D isolates were grouped in four clusters, one with sequence type (ST) 405 and three ST68. Seventeen isolates showed single patterns. blaCTX-M-15 and aac(6′)-Ib-cr were the most common resistance determinants. blaOXA-48 and blaVIM were also detected. Multidrug resistant E. coli seriously affects healthcare, especially in immunocompromised hosts, such as cancer patients. Escherichia coli is a major cause of both community and healthcare-associated infections [1, 2]. Extra-intestinal infections due to E. coli increase morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs in hospitalized patients [3]. Their impact can be especially severe in immunocompromised patients, such as cancer patients receiving chemotherapy [4]. Extended spectrum β-lactamases, AmpC and carbapenemase-producing E.

The small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) are a group belonging to the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) superfamily of proteins.

This includes decorin and biglycan (Figure 1C), which have a central region of 10 leucine residues flanked by cysteine residues [73]. Decorin is the best characterized SLRP member and is traditionally associated with ‘decorating’ collagen fibrils. The core protein is 40 kDa and has a single GAG chain attached to a serine residue near the N-terminus. Biglycan is structurally similar, IWR-1 manufacturer with a core protein of 45 kDa and two GAG chains. SLRPs evoke a number of signalling pathways and are implicated in multiple interactions including modulation of collagen I and II fibrillogenesis [74]. Decorin expression may have positive effects on repair. It is known to inhibit activity of TGFβ [75] and EGFR [76,77], which have ABT263 regulatory effects on synthesis of inhibitory CSPGs [78,79]. Biglycan also binds TGFβ, and soluble glycosylated biglycan acts as an endogenous ligand of the innate immunity

receptors TLR4 and TLR2 in macrophages (reviewed in [80]). Thus, the CSPGs comprise a complex family of molecules that are key components of the ECM. The multiple interactions of CSPGs with other ECM molecules as well as their binding affinity for a diverse array of growth factors, cytokines and receptors all suggest that they are crucial players in the CNS response to injury and that ECM modification will be an important therapeutic target. In addition to specific targeting of individual CSPGs (such as the function blocking NG2 antibody), global targeting of CSPGs has been a widely used strategy in experimental studies, for example by enzymatic digestion of CS-GAG chains to reduce the growth inhibitory properties of CSPGs. These approaches will be discussed

in detail later in this review. Many of the above ECM molecules have been targeted in repair strategies, often in an attempt to recapitulate developmental processes, where they play an important role in cell proliferation, migration, axon guidance and plasticity. Below we will discuss some of these Sirolimus in vitro processes. Correct wiring of the nervous system requires the precise distribution and connectivity of millions of cells during development. The ECM plays a key role, conferring many of the properties required to form intricate networks with specificity and reliability. During embryogenesis, neural induction and neural tube formation are followed by rapid cell proliferation, migration and differentiation of cells to neurones and glia to form the CNS. Subsequent to regionalization of neurones, connections form between them. Connections form when a differentiated neurone sends out an axon, tipped by a growth cone which responds to multiple sources of extracellular cues to reach its target.

A proportion of the CD20+CD27–CD43hi cells were CD3–CD19+; this is in line with other, more recent reports showing that some CD20+CD27+CD43hi cells could be plasmablasts [29]. Finally, previous work has addressed the possibility that activated conventional memory B2 cells could also up-regulate CD43, and thus further contaminate the B1 population by analysing expression of activation markers such as CD69 and CD70

on the population [12]. Work in this study agreed with previous findings, with < 3% of the CD27+CD43lo–int subpopulation expressing CD69 on their surface (data LEE011 chemical structure not shown). Controversy exists regarding the measurement of the CD20+CD27+CD43lo–int cell subset percentage in the peripheral blood of healthy controls. This study found a median value of 4·1% of all CD20+ B cells and 18·7% of all CD27+ B cells to be CD20+CD27+CD43lo–int. This value differs from the previous reported values of 12·7% of all CD20+ cells and approximately 20% of all CD27+ B cells in healthy controls find more [12]. However, the age range of these controls is unknown. A subsequent report gave a range of 1–9% of all CD20+ cells to be putative B1 B cells in a further cohort healthy controls although, again, no median age was given for this cohort [30]. This is similar to other groups who reported a value of 2·2% of all CD20+ B cells and a range of 1–25·5% of all CD20+ cells to be

human B1 B cells [29, 31]. All these values indicate that in the periphery, putative human B1 B cells appear to make up a minor proportion of the circulating B cell population, suggesting that they may behave similarly to murine B1 cells which are predominantly resident in peripheral tissues, in particular the peritoneal cavity [32]. A moderate correlation of CD27+CD43lo–int cell percentage with age was found in this study, with older individuals possessing a smaller

percentage compared to younger individuals, correlating with previous reports that also report a decline with age [12, 29, 31]. These findings highlight the necessity for median age statistics to be known for any given cohort, Oxymatrine as this can have an impact on discrepancies seen between study groups. Of the CD20+CD27+CD43lo–int cells, 11·5% expressing CD5 were observed in this study. This conflicts with previous work which describes 75% of ‘B1 cells’ to be CD5-positive [12]. Although such a high CD5 positivity could be caused by a potential T cell contamination, further data provided by their study showed that this is unlikely, as their ‘B1 cell’ population co-expressed almost exclusively other typical B cell markers (CD19), as shown by confocal microscopy [30]. We found a median surface IgM expression percentage of 64·4% in the CD27+CD43lo–int putative B1 B cell subpopulation in healthy controls. This probably indicates that some cells in this population have undergone class switching [33].

Whether these chemokines also contribute more generally to the phenomenon of oncogene addiction remains to be seen. CD4+ T cells co-ordinate multiple components of both the innate and adaptive immune system [81]. Therefore, the contribution of other immune effectors to the mechanisms

of oncogene addiction is likely. These results are consistent with observations in other murine models of oncogene-induced hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic Selleckchem Enzalutamide tumour and B cell lymphoma that have implicated innate immune members such as mast cells [66] and macrophages [42] as barriers to tumour growth and facilitators of tumour regression. Notably, the restoration of the p53 tumour suppressor had been shown previously to induce tumour senescence, elicit chemokine expression and induce the activation and recruitment of innate immune cells that contribute to tumour clearance [82]. Thus, the restoration of normal function of a single tumour suppressor or oncogene elicits oncogene addiction through changes in the tumour microenvironment dependent Sotrastaurin chemical structure upon various host immune effectors. The apparent requirement of an intact

host immune system in mediating oncogene addiction underscores the potential role of immune effectors in mediating the efficacy of targeted therapeutics. The kinetics of tumour cell elimination, the degree of tumour elimination, the elimination of minimal residual disease

(MRD) and the duration of a clinical response could all be dictated by the host immune status (Fig. 2). Oncogene inactivation appears to directly antagonize many of the hallmark features of tumorigenesis (Fig. 1b), while the immune system appears to play a fundamental role in contributing not only to how oncogene activation initiates these features, but equally importantly to the reversal of these features upon oncogene inactivation (Fig. 2). Specifically, the ability of the tumour to regulate self-renewal versus cellular senescence and the capacity of the host to regulate the angiogenic state may both be tightly coupled to the ability of CD4+ T cells to regulate other immune effectors and Fluorometholone Acetate cytokines (Fig. 2). These mechanisms may also contribute to tumour dormancy [83], the notion that there can be a pause or latency in cancer progression. Future targeted therapeutic strategies could include targeting genes in the senescence pathway through the induction of p53 activity or modulating genes in the cell cycle machinery [84]. Targeted therapeutic strategies that modulate the expression of genes that control angiogenesis are used currently in the clinic with limited success [85], and more effective strategies need to be designed and implemented.

Thus, the effect of STAT2 find more over-expression was first examined on the suppression of the IL-4 signaling in terms of STAT6 localization in Ramos B cells. In the STAT2 over-expressing cell system, IFN-α not only increased cytoplasmic accumulation of the endogenous and transfected pY-STAT2, but also upregulated cytoplasmic levels of the IL-4-activated pY-STAT6 compared with the mock-transfected system (Fig. 7A: The CE/NE ratio of pY-STAT6/STAT6 increased

from 4.2 to 10.9). Next, we analyzed the effect of STAT6 over-expression on the inhibitory action of IL-4 on IFN-α signaling. We found that the cytoplasmic retention of pY-STAT2 induced by IL-4 treatment was promoted corresponding to the increment of pY-STAT6 cytoplasmic levels, resulting in a further reduction in nuclear pY-STAT2 levels (Fig. 7B: The CE/NE ratio of pY-STAT2/STAT2 increased from 3.2 to 13.7). The effects of STAT over-expression were then investigated on the target gene expression in Ramos B cells. Upon STAT2 over-expression, IL-4-induced CD23 mRNA levels were severely reduced, and the suppression by IFN-α proceeded faster BAY 73-4506 mw than in mock cells, reducing the lag

time for inhibition from 4 to 2 h (Fig. 8A: The graph scale in the box was enlarged in the right panel). A similar phenomenon was observed in STAT6 over-expressing cells; IRF7 mRNA levels induced Fluorouracil manufacturer by IFN-α were substantially downregulated, and the suppressive effect of IL-4 on the IFN-α-induced IRF7 gene expression obtained by 8 h was more prominent as compared with the mock-transfected

cells (Fig. 8B). The data demonstrate that increase in cytoplasmic STAT2 or STAT6 levels caused a concomitant retention of STAT6 or STAT2, respectively, which in turn promoted the inhibitory effects of IFN-α and IL-4 on CD23 and IRF7 gene expression, respectively. The increased co-retention of STAT6 and STAT2 observed in cells over-expressing either STAT2 or STAT6 is likely to occur through the molecular interaction and complex formation between activated STATs induced by cytokine treatment. We have utilized the CD23 gene expression system in Ramos B cells to investigate the regulation mechanism of IL-4 signaling pathways by IFN-α. While IFN-α was shown to suppress the IL-4-induced IL-4R expression in primary immune cells 21, it had no effect on IL-4R levels throughout 12 h-period sufficient for the regulation of CD23 expression in Ramos cells (data not shown). Yet, IFN-α perturbed IL-4 signaling leading to CD23 gene activation in these cells as shown by a significant decrease in IL-4-induced nuclear pY-STAT6 levels and the subsequent STAT6 binding to the CD23 promoter, leading to the effective downregulation of the IL-4-induced CD23 expression at both protein and mRNA levels (Figs. 1 and 2).

Further studies are required to Inhibitor Library clinical trial test the benefits of a ultra-low heparin in higher risk patients. “
“A decrease of systolic blood pressure in excess of 20 mmHg during haemodialysis treatment (IDD) is common for haemodialysis patients. Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is symptomatic IDD by definition. Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) is a possible cause of IDD.

Dialysate nitrate and nitrite amount can be used as an indicator of intradialysis NO production. Our aim was to find the predictor of NO production in IDD patients. Partial dialysate samples were collected during the whole haemodialysis session and total dialysate nitrate and nitrite amount was measured to assess the association of intradialysis NO production with blood pressure change. There were 31 IDD patients and 71 patients who did not develop IDD (NIDD) included in the study. Among the IDD patients, 13 were IDH patients Acalabrutinib research buy with a mean systolic blood pressure lower than that of the other 18 symptomless IDD patients (96.6 ± 3.4 mmHg vs 125.0 ± 3.8 mmHg, P < 0.001). The median value of NO production was higher in the IDD than in the NIDD patients (447.7 μg vs 238.8 μg, P < 0.001). The NO production correlated linearly with blood pressure reduction (R = 0.487, P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that NO production was positively associated with predialysis systolic blood pressure. Nitric

oxide production during haemodialysis was higher in IDD than in NIDD patients. IDH often occurred when systolic blood pressure was reduced to below 100 mmHg. The amount of NO produced during haemodialysis, which may be associated with predialysis systolic

blood pressure, can be used to predict intradialysis blood pressure decrease. “
“Aim:  We evaluated the influence of C-344T polymorphism of the aldosterone synthase gene, associated with aldosterone levels and the development of arterial hypertension, on focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Methods:  We studied 81 patients with primary FSGS followed up for 8.0 ± 12 years. Patients were classified according to their slope of reciprocal serum creatinine into group A (slow progressors, n = 57) and B (fast progressors, n = 24). One hundred healthy volunteers were analysed as controls. The biopsies of Exoribonuclease n = 50 patients were reviewed and analysed by the same pathologist. C-344T polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction. Results:  The allele frequencies differed significantly between patients (C-allele: 0.55, T-allele: 0.45) and controls (C-allele: 0.45, T-allele: 0.55; P < 0.05). Patients carrying the C-allele tended to have a higher percentage of sclerosed glomeruli (41.8 ± 30% vs 31. 2 ± 19% in TT genotype, ns) and tubulointerstitial fibrosis (22.8 ± 18% vs 16.0 ± 5%, ns). The rate of deterioration of renal function was higher in the CC/CT genotypes (−0.216 ± 0.449 dL/mg per year) compared to the TT genotype (−0.030 ± 0.