Biomedical subjects

Kazuhito Totsune

Publications and source records attributed to Kazuhito Totsune.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Progress report on The Hypertension Objective Treatment Based on Measurement by Electrical Devices of Blood Pressure (HOMED-BP) study: status at February 2004.

The Hypertension Objective Treatment Based on Measurement by Electrical Devices of Blood Pressure (HOMED-BP) Study is the first large-scale intervention trial in Japan using a PROBE design to determine an optimal target blood pressure (BP) level on the basis of self-measured BP at home and optimal initial antihypertensive medication. The registered patients are randomized to one of two different BP levels and to initial antihypertensive regimens (i.e., calcium antagonist [Ca-A], angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor [ACE-I], or angiotensin II receptor antagonist [ARB]). At the end of February 2004, 2729, 1687, and 971 patients were recruited, randomized, and followed-up for 12 months or more. Among the 971 patients, mean systolic/diastolic BP levels at randomization in the Ca-A, ACE-I, and ARB groups were 150/90, 152/89, and 151/89 mmHg, respectively. These values reduced after six months of Ca-A-, ACE-I-, and ARB-based treatment (133/81 mmHg, 135/80 mmHg, and 134/79 mmHg, respectively) and further reduced after 12 months (131/80 mmHg, 134/79 mmHg, and 132/79 mmHg, respectively) without any significant differences among groups. In more intensive and less intensive BP-lowering groups, mean systolic/diastolic BP levels at randomization were 151/90 and 150/89 mmHg, respectively. Although BP levels reduced after 6-month (135/80 mmHg and 133/80 mmHg, respectively) and 12-month treatment (133/79 mmHg and 132/80 mmHg, respectively) in each target group, no significant difference in BP values was observed between groups. These results indicate the necessity of additional interventional strategies to improve the achievement of target BP levels, especially in the more intensive BP-lowering group.

Aged↗

PubMed2007

Detection of carotid atherosclerosis in individuals with masked hypertension and white-coat hypertension by self-measured blood pressure at home: the Ohasama study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate carotid atherosclerosis in individuals with masked hypertension (MHT) and white-coat hypertension (WCHT) in a general population. METHODS: Self-measurement of blood pressure at home (HBP) and casual blood pressure (CBP) measurements were recorded in 812 individuals aged at least 55 years (mean 66.4 years) from the general Japanese population. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of the near and far wall of both common carotid arteries was measured and averaged. The relationships between carotid atherosclerosis (IMT and plaque) and the four blood pressure groups (sustained normal blood pressure: HBP < 135/85 mmHg, CBP < 140/90 mmHg; WCHT: HBP < 135/85 mmHg, CBP >or= 140/90 mmHg; MHT: HBP >or= 135/85 mmHg, CBP < 140/90 mmHg; sustained hypertension: HBP >or= 135/85 mmHg, CBP >or= 140/90 mmHg) were examined using multivariate analysis adjusted for possible confounding factors. RESULTS: Adjusted IMT in individuals with sustained hypertension [0.77 mm; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75 to 0.79 mm] and MHT (0.77 mm; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.80 mm) was significantly greater than in those with sustained normal blood pressure (0.71 mm; 95% CI 0.69 to 0.72 mm) and WCHT (0.72 mm; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.74 mm) (P < 0.0001). The odds ratios for the presence of plaques in all four groups were similar to the trends in IMT. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings imply that CBP measurements alone are insufficient to distinguish individuals at high risk of carotid atherosclerosis from those at low risk. However, these individuals do have distinct HBP measurements, suggesting that HBP measurement could become a valuable tool for predicting carotid atherosclerosis.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Predicting stroke using 4 ambulatory blood pressure monitoring-derived blood pressure indices: the Ohasama Study.

We investigated the association between stroke and blood pressure (BP) indices (systolic BP [SBP], diastolic BP [DBP], mean BP [MBP], and pulse pressure [PP]) determined by ambulatory BP monitoring. The predictive power for stroke of these indices was compared in the general Japanese population. We obtained ambulatory BP data in 1271 subjects (40% men) aged > or = 40 (mean: 61) years. During a mean follow-up of 11 years, 113 strokes were observed. The multivariate adjusted relative hazard and likelihood ratio for a 1-SD increase for each BP index was determined by Cox proportional hazard regression. Comparison of the likelihood ratio between Cox models including 2 indices and those including 1 index indicated that PP was significantly less informative than other indices (P<0.01 when adding MBP, SBP, or DBP to the PP model; P>0.09 when adding PP to the model including another index). However, after removing age from covariates, PP became more informative than DBP and MBP (P<0.0001 when adding PP to the MBP or DBP model, whereas SBP was more informative than PP even after removing age; P<0.05 when adding SBP to the PP model). In conclusion, PP was the weakest predictor of stroke. Exclusion of age from covariates increased the predictive power of PP, suggesting that the stroke risk associated with PP reflected the risk of aging per se.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Prediction of stroke by home "morning" versus "evening" blood pressure values: the Ohasama study.

Predictive power of self-measured blood pressure at home (home BP) for cardiovascular disease risk has been reported to be higher than casual-screening BP. However, the differential prognostic significance of home BP in the morning (morning BP) and in the evening (evening BP), respectively, has not been elucidated. In the Ohasama study, 1766 subjects (>or=40 years) were followed up for an average of 11 years. The predictive power for stroke incidence of evening BP was compared with that of morning BP as continuous variables. The Cox regression model demonstrated that evening BP and morning BP predicted future stroke risk equally. Subjects were also assigned to 1 of 4 categories based on home BP. In this analysis, stroke risk in morning hypertension ([HT] morning BP >or=135/85 mm Hg and evening BP <135/85 mm Hg; relative hazard (RH): 2.66; 95% CI:1.64 to 4.33) and that in sustained HT(morning BP and evening BP >or=135/85 mm Hg; RH: 2.38; 95% CI: 1.65 to 3.45) was significantly higher than that in normotension (morning BP and evening BP <135/85 mm Hg). The risk in morning HT was more remarkable in subjects taking antihypertensive medication (RH: 3.55; 95% CI: 1.70 to 7.38). Although the risk in evening HT (morning BP <135/85 mm Hg and evening BP >or=135/85 mm Hg) was higher than that in normotension, the differences were not significant. In conclusion, morning BP and evening BP provide equally useful information for stroke risk, whereas morning HT, which indicates HT specifically observed in the morning, might be a good predictor of stroke, particularly among individuals using anti-HT medication.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Hypoxia increases endothelin-1 mRNA expression but not immunoreactive endothelin in the medium of T98G glioblastoma cells under cytokine treatment.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in the culture medium were considered to reflect the transcription of the ET-1 gene and the subsequent secretion of ET-1 from cultured cells. It has not been clarified how different ET-1 mRNA expression levels and immunoreactive (IR)-ET levels in the culture medium are in the cell culture system. We studied ET-1 mRNA expression levels and IR-ET levels in the medium of T98G glioblastoma cells treated with cytokines. T98G glioblastoma cells were cultured with cytokines (interferon-gamma 100 U/ml, tumor necrosis factor-alpha 20 ng/ml and interleukin-1beta 10 ng/ml) under normoxia or hypoxia (1% O(2)). Northern blot analysis showed that ET-1 mRNA expression levels were increased by tumor necrosis factor-alpha alone or a combination of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta, or three cytokines, and the increase was further enhanced under hypoxia. Particularly, relative expression levels of ET-1 mRNA were significantly higher under hypoxia than in normoxia in the treatment with a combination of three cytokines. IR-ET levels in the medium were increased by treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta or a combination of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta, or three cytokines. In contrast to the mRNA expression levels, IR-ET levels in the medium of T98G cells treated with a combination of three cytokines were rather decreased under hypoxia compared with those in normoxia. These findings indicate that hypoxia induces ET-1 mRNA expression in the treatment of three cytokines, but IR-ET levels in the medium do not reflect this induction in T98G glioblastoma cells.

Cell Hypoxia↗

PubMed2006

The current status of home and office blood pressure control among hypertensive patients with diabetes mellitus: the Japan Home Versus Office Blood Pressure Measurement Evaluation (J-HOME) study.

Although self-measured blood pressure (BP) at home (HBP) has become popular in clinical practice, little information is available regarding the proportion of diabetic patients with properly controlled HBP. We evaluated the status of HBP control in diabetic hypertensives. HBP control status was cross-sectionally evaluated among 3400 essential hypertensives taking antihypertensive treatment. Of these, 466 (14%) had diabetes. Physicians evaluated the subjects' HBP control as "poor", "fairly good", or "excellent" using a self-administered questionnaire. When the HBP threshold in diabetic patients was set tentatively at 130/80 mmHg or 135/85 mmHg, HBP was properly controlled in 18% or 30% of diabetic patients, respectively. The same trend was observed in office BP. The average number of drugs prescribed for diabetic patients was 2.0 drugs. In the majority of diabetic patients with uncontrolled BP, the BP control status in two-thirds of those was evaluated as "excellent" or "fairly good" by their physicians. In Japan, HBP and office BP were not adequately controlled in most diabetic hypertensives. The main reason for this would appear to be a lack of intensive treatment and a lack of recognition by physicians that their patients' BP was insufficiently controlled.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Enhanced radial late systolic pressure augmentation in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND: Wave reflection augments central blood pressure (BP) in late systole, thus increasing cardiac afterload. We examined the relationship between late systolic pressure augmentation in the peripheral radial artery pulse wave and the existence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in hypertension. METHODS: Brachial BP, radial augmentation index (AI(r)), and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV(cf)) were determined in 77 untreated hypertensive patients aged 56 +/- 10 years. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by ultrasound, and LVH was defined based on the LV mass index (LVMI). Using multivariate analysis, patient characteristics were compared between those with (+) and without (-) LVH. RESULTS: The LVMI was correlated independently and positively with AI(r) (beta = 0.33, P = .004) and the brachial mean arterial pressure (MAP; beta = 0.25, P = .03). The ratio of early to atrial peak velocities (E/A ratio) of the diastolic transmitral flow tended to be correlated negatively with the AI(r). The LVH (+) group had a significantly higher AI(r) than the LVH (-) group [LVH (+), 97% v LVH (-), 89%, P = .003]; this difference remained significant even after adjustment for age, gender, MAP, and heart rate. The adjusted relative risk of LVH was 1.99 for each 10% AI(r) increase (P = .005). In contrast, LVMI was not correlated with the PWV(cf), and the PWV(cf) was not different between the LVH (+) and LVH (-) groups. Moreover, there was no significant correlation between PWV(cf) and AI(r). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the peripheral AI(r) measurement is clinically useful in predicting LVH. Enhanced wave reflection may be related to the development of LVH in hypertensive patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy and arterial stiffness: the Ohasama study.

BACKGROUND: Whether arterial stiffness per se contributes to left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) independently of blood pressure (BP) remains unknown. We examined the relationship between pulse wave velocity (PWV) and LVH in a large population. METHODS: The PWV was measured between the brachial and ankle regions (baPWV) of 798 individuals. We diagnosed LVH using electrocardiographic criteria: Cornell voltage-duration product >2440 mm x msec or Sokolow-Lyon voltage >38 mm. The participants were initially separated into those with and without LVH [LVH(+) and LVH(-) groups, respectively]. To determine theoretical baPWV, we first constructed a nomogram for the LVH(-) group, calculated the PWV index (measured baPWV - theoretical baPWV) for each individual and then compared the two groups. We also examined the factors associated with LVH(+) using multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis revealed that the theoretical baPWV (m/sec) = 0.20 x age (years) + 0.13 x Mean arterial pressure (MAP) (mm Hg) + 0.05 x Heart rate (beats/min) - 11.74 (R(2) = 0.56). The PWV index was greater in the LVH(+) than in the LVH(-) group (P = .025). The baPWV was independently related to LVH(+) along with MAP, medication for hypertension, and for diabetes; a 1 SD (4.3 m/sec) increase in baPWV was associated with a 26% increase in the risk of LVH(+) (P = .022). When LVH(+) risk factors were defined as hypertension, diabetes, and high baPWV (> or =14.6 m/sec), the prevalence of LVH(+) linearly increased with the number of concomitant LVH(+) risk factors (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Arterial stiffness is independently related to electrocardiographically determined LVH in the general population.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Characteristics of resistant hypertension determined by self-measured blood pressure at home and office blood pressure measurements: the J-HOME study.

OBJECTIVES: To diagnose resistant hypertension using self-measured blood pressure (BP) at home and office BP, and to evaluate the characteristics of resistant hypertensive patients. METHODS: The subjects were 528 hypertensive patients taking at least three or more different antihypertensive drugs. Subjects were classified into four groups (controlled hypertension, isolated office resistant hypertension, isolated home resistant hypertension and sustained resistant hypertension) on the basis of the cut-off values of home BP (135/85 mmHg) and office BP (140/90 mmHg). The relationship between each resistant hypertension group and various factors was analysed using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Of the 528 patients, 17.8% were classified with controlled hypertension, 16.1% with isolated office resistant hypertension, 23.5% with isolated home resistant hypertension and 42.6% with sustained resistant hypertension. The presence of hypercholesterolemia was found to have a significant and independent association with isolated office resistant hypertension. Higher office systolic blood pressure (SBP), a past history of ischaemic heart disease, and a lower prescription rate of potassium-sparing diuretics were found to have a significant and independent association with isolated home resistant hypertension. Patients with sustained resistant hypertension had a significantly lower prescription rate of potassium-sparing diuretics than those with controlled hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that resistant hypertension is mediated at least partly by the white-coat effect. Home BP measurements and other relevant factors associated with resistant hypertension, such as relatively higher office SBP, type of drugs prescribed, and cardiovascular complications, should be taken into account for the diagnosis and treatment of resistant hypertension.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Prognostic significance of night-time, early morning, and daytime blood pressures on the risk of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular mortality: the Ohasama Study.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify whether high blood pressure (BP) at a particular time of day is associated with cerebrovascular and cardiovascular mortality risk. METHODS: Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular mortality in 1360 individuals aged 40 years and older in Ohasama, Japan, was followed for an average of 10.6 years. We used 2-h moving averages of the BP (a total of 24 average BP measurements for two consecutive hours based on four BP readings taken every 30 min) to compare the predictive power of BP taken during a 24-h period given the same number of measurements. The associations between cerebrovascular and cardiovascular mortality risk and the 2-h moving averages of systolic blood pressure (2 h-SBP) recorded over 24 h were analysed using a Cox proportional hazards model after adjusting for possible confounding factors. RESULTS: The total cerebrovascular and cardiovascular mortality risk was significantly associated with elevated 2 h-SBP recorded during the night and early morning periods. Haemorrhagic stroke mortality was significantly associated with elevated daytime 2 h-SBP. Cerebral infarction mortality and heart disease mortality were significantly associated with elevated night-time 2 h-SBP. CONCLUSION: High BP at different times of day were associated with different subtypes of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular mortality risk.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Introversion associated with large differences between screening blood pressure and home blood pressure measurement: The Ohasama study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of personality on screening blood pressures measured in clinical settings and home blood pressure measurements. METHODS: From 1997 to 1999, 699 participants underwent screening and home blood pressure measurements and completed the Japanese version of the short-form Eysenck personality questionnaire. An increased screening blood pressure was defined as screening blood pressure > or = 140/90 mmHg and an increased home blood pressure was defined as home blood pressure > or = 135/85 mmHg. RESULTS: Participants with lower extroversion scores (i.e., introversion) showed a greater difference between screening and home systolic blood pressure. The association between introversion and differences was statistically significant, even after adjustment for other possible factors (younger age, female, wide screening pulse pressure, never smoked, and no antihypertensive medication). The adjusted means of SBP differences were 7.3 and 4.4 mmHg among the lowest and highest extroversion quartiles, respectively (P for trend = 0.02). Other personality scores (psychoticism or neuroticism) were not associated with screening and home blood pressure differences. The incorporation of an extroversion score in the basic model consisting of the above factors that affected the difference between screening and home blood pressure slightly improved the prediction of a high home blood pressure. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve increased by 0.037 among participants with high screening blood pressure and 0.006 for those with normal screening blood pressure compared with the basic model. CONCLUSION: Physicians may need to be aware of 'introverted' patients who have high blood pressure in clinic settings, because they have the potential for 'white-coat' hypertension.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

The economic impact of the introduction of home blood pressure measurement for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the economic consequences resulting from introduction of home blood pressure measurement in diagnosis of hypertension instead of casual clinic blood pressure measurement. METHODS: We constructed a decision tree model using data from the Ohasama study and a Japanese national database. The Ohasama study provided the prognostic value of home blood pressure as compared with clinic blood pressure measurement. RESULTS: It is predicted that the use of home blood pressure for hypertension diagnosis results in a saving of 9.30 billion US dollars (1013.6 billion yen) in hypertension-related medical costs in Japan. Most of this was attributable to medical costs saved by avoiding the start of treatment for untreated individuals who were diagnosed as hypertensive by clinic blood pressure but whose blood pressures were in the normal range when based on home blood pressure; that is, the so called white-coat hypertension. Furthermore, it could be expected that adequate blood pressure control mediated by the change in the diagnostic method from clinic to home blood pressure measurement would improve the prognosis for hypertension. We estimated that the prevention of hypertensive complications resulted in a reduction of annual medical costs by 28 million US dollars (3.0 billion yen). In addition, stroke prevention due to adequate blood pressure control based on home blood pressure measurement reduced annual long-term care costs by 39 million US dollars (4.2 billion yen). A per-person break-even cost for introducing home blood pressure monitoring was calculated as 409 US dollars (44,580 yen). CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of home blood pressure measurement for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension would be very effective to save costs.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Expression of endothelin-1 and adrenomedullin was not altered by leptin or resistin in bovine brain microvascular endothelial cells.

Hypertension frequently occurs in obese subjects. It has been reported that leptin and resistin induce endothelin-1 expression in vascular endothelial cells. Altered function of brain microvascular endothelial cells may be related to increased occurrences of stroke in hypertensive patients. In the present study, we therefore studied the effects of leptin and resistin on the expression of endothelin-1 and adrenomedullin in bovine brain microvascular endothelial cells. Northern blot analysis showed that leptin (10(-10)-10(-8) mol/l), resistin (10(-10)-10(-8) mol/l) or a combination of leptin and resistin (10(-8) mol/l for each) had no significant effects on the expression of endothelin-1 mRNA or adrenomedullin mRNA in cultured bovine brain microvascular endothelial cells. On the other hand, hypoxia induced, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (10 ng/ml) decreased, the expression levels of endothelin-1 and adrenomedullin mRNAs, indicating that the bovine brain microvascular endothelial cells were able to respond to hypoxia and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Consistent with the results of Northern blot analysis, immunoreactive endothelin and immunoreactive adrenomedullin concentrations in the medium were not significantly changed by the treatment with leptin, resistin, or a combination of leptin and resistin. The present study thus showed that neither leptin nor resistin affects the expression of endothelin-1 or adrenomedullin in bovine brain microvascular endothelial cells.

Adrenomedullin↗

PubMed2005

Prognostic significance for stroke of a morning pressor surge and a nocturnal blood pressure decline: the Ohasama study.

There is continuing controversy over whether the pattern of circadian blood pressure (BP) variation that includes a nocturnal decline in BP and a morning pressor surge has prognostic significance for stroke risk. In this study, we followed the incidence of stroke in 1430 subjects aged > or =40 years in Ohasama, Japan, for an average of 10.4 years. The association between stroke risk and the pattern of circadian BP variation was analyzed with a Cox proportional hazards model after adjustment for possible confounding factors. There was no significant association between total stroke risk and the nocturnal decline in BP (percentage decline from diurnal level) or between total stroke risk and the morning pressor surge. The cerebral infarction risk was significantly higher in subjects with a <10% nocturnal decline in BP as compared with subjects who had a > or =10% nocturnal decline in BP (P=0.04). The morning pressor surge was not associated with a risk of cerebral infarction. On the other hand, an increased risk of cerebral hemorrhage was observed in subjects with a large morning pressor surge (> or =25 mm Hg; P=0.04). Intracerebral hemorrhage was also observed more frequently in extreme dippers (those with a > or =20% nocturnal decline in BP) than dippers (those with a 10% to 19% decline; P=0.02). A disturbed nocturnal decline in BP is associated with cerebral infarction, whereas a large morning pressor surge and a large nocturnal decline in BP, which are analogous to a large diurnal increase in BP, are both associated with cerebral hemorrhage.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Immunocytochemical localization of adrenomedullin 2/intermedin-like immunoreactivity in human hypothalamus, heart and kidney.

Adrenomedullin 2/intermedin (AM2/IMD) is a novel member of the calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) peptide family. AM2/IMD has a vasodilator action, and antidiuretic and antinatriuretic effects in mice. The aim of the present study is to clarify immunolocalization of AM2/IMD in human hypothalamus, heart and kidney obtained at autopsy. Immunocytochemistry showed AM2/IMD-immunoreactive cell bodies in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of human hypothalamus. Both parvocellular and magnocellular cells in the paravetricular nucleus are immunostained with AM2/IMD. Immunostaining of serial sections showed co-localization of AM2/IMD-like immunoreactivity and vasopressin in the paraventricular nucleus. Myocardial cells of the heart and renal tubular cells were positively immunostained with AM2/IMD, whereas neither renal glomeruli nor vasculature in the heart and kidney were immunostained. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction confirmed expression of AM2/IMD mRNA in the brain, pituitary, heart and kidney. The present study has shown the wide expression of AM2/IMD in human hypothalamus, heart and kidney, raising the possibility that this novel peptide may be related to the central and peripheral regulation of the circulation and water-electrolyte metabolism.

Adrenomedullin↗

PubMed2005

Expression of orexin-A and orexin receptors in the kidney and the presence of orexin-A-like immunoreactivity in human urine.

Orexin-A (hypocretin-1), a neuropeptide with stimulatory actions on arousal and appetite, was originally shown to be specifically expressed in the hypothalamus. We studied expression of orexin-A and orexin receptors in the kidney and the presence of orexin-A-like immunoreactivity in human urine. Immunocytochemistry showed that orexin-A-like immunoreactivity and two types of orexin receptors (types 1 and 2) were localized in the tubules of the human kidney obtained at autopsy. Orexin-A-like immunoreactivity was detected in human kidneys (21.3 +/- 6.2 fmol/g wet weight, mean +/- S.E.M., n = 4) and rat kidneys (16.2 +/- 1.6 fmol/g wet weight, n = 5) by radioimmunoassay, although the levels were much lower than the levels in the brain. Orexin-A-like immunoreactivity was present in the urine obtained from male healthy volunteers (67.8 +/- 4.5 pmol/l, n = 5). Reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography showed that most of orexin-A-like immunoreactivity of the urine extract was eluted earlier than authentic orexin-A, suggesting that orexin-A-like immunoreactivity in urine was modified to hydrophilic forms. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction showed expression of orexin receptors 1 and 2 mRNAs in the human kidney. These findings suggest that orexin-A is produced by the renal tubular cells and secreted into urine. Orexin-A may act on the kidney in the autocrine or paracrine fashion, or via the urine (urocrine fashion).

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Expression of urocortin 3/stresscopin in human adrenal glands and adrenal tumors.

Urocortin 3 (Ucn 3)/stresscopin (SCP) is a novel peptide of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family and is a specific ligand for the CRF type 2 receptor. In the present study, we studied expression of Ucn3/SCP in the normal adrenal and adrenal tumors by radioimmunoassay and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). High concentrations of immunoreactive (IR)-Ucn3 were present in the normal portions of adrenal glands (4.2+/-0.51 pmol/g wet weight, mean+/-S.E.M., n = 14), and the levels were higher than those in the brain. IR-Ucn3 was also detected in the tumor tissues of aldosterone-secreting adenomas (6.2+/-0.6 pmol/g wet weight, n = 10), cortisol-secreting adenomas (5.0+/-1.2 pmol/g wet weight, n = 4), and pheochromocytomas (1.9+/-0.4 pmol/g wet weight, n = 7). Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography showed that IR-Ucn3 in normal portions of adrenal glands and aldosterone-secreting adenomas was eluted mainly in the positions of Ucn3 and SCP with several minor peaks eluting earlier. The RT-PCR showed expression of Ucn3 mRNA in normal portions of adrenal gland (positive ratio; 4/4), aldosterone-secreting adenomas (3/4), cortisol-secreting adenomas (1/3) and pheochromocytomas (6/7). These findings indicate that Ucn3 is produced in normal adrenal and adrenal tumors (both adrenocortical tumors and pheochromocytomas), and suggest that Ucn3 acts as an autocrine or paracrine regulator in normal adrenal and adrenal tumors.

Adenoma↗

PubMed2005

Prognosis of "masked" hypertension and "white-coat" hypertension detected by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring 10-year follow-up from the Ohasama study.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the prognosis in subjects with "white-coat" hypertension (WCHT) and "masked" hypertension (MHT), in which blood pressure (BP) is lower in clinical measurements than during ambulatory monitoring. BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of WCHT remains controversial, and little is known about MHT. METHODS: We obtained 24-h ambulatory BP and "casual" BP (i.e., obtained in clinical scenarios) values from 1,332 subjects (872 women, 460 men) > or =40 years old in a representative sample of the general population of a Japanese community. Survival and stroke morbidity were then followed up for a mean duration of 10 years. RESULTS: Composite risk of cardiovascular mortality and stroke morbidity examined using a Cox proportional hazards regression model for subjects with WCHT (casual BP > or =140/90 mm Hg, daytime BP <135/85 mm Hg; relative hazards [RH])1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76 to 2.14) was no different from risk for subjects with sustained normal BP (casual BP <140/90 mm Hg, daytime BP <135/85 mm Hg). However, risk was significantly higher for subjects with MHT (casual BP <140/90 mm Hg, daytime BP > or =135/85 mm Hg; RH 2.13; 95% CI 1.38 to 3.29) or sustained hypertension (casual BP > or =140/90 mm Hg, daytime BP > or =135/85 mm Hg; RH 2.26; 95% CI 1.49 to 3.41) than for subjects with sustained normal BP. Similar findings were observed for cardiovascular mortality and stroke morbidity among subgroups by gender, use of antihypertensive medication, and risk factor level (all p for heterogeneity >0.2). CONCLUSIONS: Conventional BP measurements may not identify some individuals at high or low risk, but these people may be identifiable by the use of ambulatory BP.

Anxiety↗