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C Fiori

Publications and source records attributed to C Fiori.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Renal vein renin in renovascular hypertension: the experience of two Italian centers.

A retrospective analysis of renal vein renin results has been done in 96 patients with renal artery stenosis and hypertension studied in two Italian centers (Sassari and Pisa) with respect to the outcome of either surgery or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). In all patients the renal vein renin ratio and the V-A/A ratios for the affected and unaffected kidney were calculated. Each patient underwent surgery (75) of PTA (21): 71 subjects were cured, 17 improved whereas the arterial pressure did not vary after revascularisation procedure in 8 patients. In the Pisa series all 54 patients showed a lateralisation with contralateral renin suppression and 95% of them benefitted from surgery. In the Sassari series 42 patients were submitted to PTA or surgery, not only on the basis of a positive renal vein renin study but taking into account a complete clinical evaluation: 8 of them were cured or improved in spite of negative renal vein renin criteria. In the two series, the better predictive index appeared to be the suppression of the renin secretion from the contralateral kidney while the high/low renin ratio showed a consistent amount of false-positive and false-negative results. Our retrospective study demonstrates that the renal vein test in hypertensive patients with renal artery stenosis is highly predictive of the curability of the disease, particularly when contralateral suppression of renin secretion is present. On the other hand, since patients with negative renin indexes can also take benefit from surgery of PTA, the renin parameters cannot be adopted as the sole criterion in making the decision to operate.

Adult

In-vivo activation of circulating inactive renin by the ischemic kidney in man.

The role of the kidney as a possible source or as activator of inactive renin was studied in 22 patients with Essential Hypertension (EH) and in 20 patients with Unilateral Renal Artery Stenosis (RAS). Active and inactive renin (trypsin activation) were measured in blood samples taken simultaneously from both renal veins and from a peripheral artery during acute diuretic stimulation induced by furosemide 40 mg i.v. In EH pts active and trypsin-activated renin were significantly higher in both renal veins than in arterial blood (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.02 respectively) whereas no difference was seen as far as inactive renin is concerned. In unilateral RAS trypsin-activated and active renin from the ischemic kidney were significantly higher (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.005 respectively) while inactive renin was significantly lower (P less than 0.005) than in arterial blood. No significant difference was seen between arterial and renal venous blood from the contralateral kidney as far as active and inactive renin are concerned. When comparing the V-A differences for active renin to the corresponding V-A differences for inactive renin from the ischemic kidney a significant negative correlation appeared (r = -0.49 p less than 0.05) whereas no correlation was found from the contralateral kidney (r = -0.26 n.s.). These data demonstrate that the ischemic kidney, in addition to its ability to release active renin, can also activate circulating inactive renin.

Adult

Plasma active and inactive renin and urinary kallikrein in normal subjects in response to hydrochlorothiazide, spironolactone or aldosterone administration.

The aim of this study has been to see whether acute variations in the proportions of circulating active and inactive renin in normal subjects were related to concurrent changes in the excretion of urinary kallikrein. Hydrochlorothiazide (50 mg/day) was given to 6 normal volunteers for 6 days; another group of 6 normal subjects received spironolactone (300 mg/day) for 6 days whereas synthetic aldosterone (0.5 mg/day) was administered i.m. for three days to 3 normal subjects. Both diuretics induced a sharp rise in active and total renin and a significant transient decrease in inactive renin so that the active: total renin proportion significantly increased. Urinary kallikrein excretion did not significantly change in either group. Parenteral administration of aldosterone induced a striking fall in all renin components without changing the proportions of active and inactive renin whereas urinary kallikrein excretion increased. These results indicate that changes in active: total renin proportions can occur without parallel variations in urinary kallikrein excretion. The latter cannot be used, therefore, as a reliable index of the possible role of renal kallikrein as activator in-vivo of inactive renin in man.

Adult

Optimum tryptic activation of inactive renin in human plasma is independent of endogenous anti-tryptic activity.

1. Plasma samples from 31 normal subjects were treated (at 4 degrees C, pH 7.0, for 2 min) with different concentrations of trypsin (500, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 microgram/ml) in order to assess which concentration yielded the maximum activation of inactive renin. 2. Endogenous antitryptic activity was also measured in all samples; the mean value +/- SD (in microgram of trypsin inhibited by 1 ml of plasma) was 953 +/- 550 microgram/ml (range 34-1800 microgram/ml). 3. In the entire group of subjects the values of trypsin-activated renin measured with trypsin at 2000 microgram/ml were significantly higher than those obtained with lower or higher trypsin concentrations. 4. With subjects divided into subgroups according to their endogenous anti-tryptic activity, the maximum yield of activation was reached with trypsin at 2000 microgram/ml. 5. No significant correlations were found between single values of active, inactive or trypsin-activated renin and the corresponding levels of endogenous anti-tryptic activity. However, a weak but significant correlation (r = 0.39, P less than 0.05) was found between single values of anti-tryptic activity and the corresponding percentage of activation of inactive renin. 6. Thus the maximum activation of inactive renin at 4 degrees C for 2 min is obtained with trypsin at 2000 microgram/ml independently of the corresponding endogenous anti-tryptic activity. It is not excluded that the content of protease inhibitors in human plasma might affect the proportion in vivo of circulating active and inactive renin.

Adult

[Role of renin profile and age in the choice of the therapeutic approach of arterial hypertension (author's transl)].

A group of 116 patients with grade I-II (W.H.O.) essential hypertension was studied. A diuretic treatment was instituted as a first step of therapy in 50 patients while the remaining 66 were firstly treated with beta-blockers. After 6 weeks of treatment the drugs were combined in those patients who did not achieve blood pressure control; this combination therapy was again maintained for 6 weeks and, if necessary, a vasodilating agent was added thereafter. The results show that with diuretic treatment alone diastolic blood pressure was brought to normal values (less than 95 mmHg) in 3/4 of our low renin patients, in 2/3 of normal renin and in 1/3 of high renin hypertensives. On the contrary among the group of patients treated with a beta-blocker alone more than half of the high and normal renin patients were controlled whereas this goal was achieved in only 1/4 of the low renin patients. Similar behaviour was observed subdividing the subjects in young (less than 35 yrs), middle-aged (36-49 yrs) and older (greater than 50 yrs) patients. In conclusion our data indicate that age must be taken into account in classifying hypertensive patients in renin subgroups. In addition if a renin-sodium profile is available, it can be useful in choosing between diuretics or beta-blocker as a first step treatment. Alternatively, younger patients are more likely to have better hypotensive responses with beta-blockers whereas in older patients antihypertensive treatment should preferentially be started with diuretics alone.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists