Essential Hypertension: Elastase, Nitric Oxide Metabolites and Oxidative Status.

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ content at baseline and after activation in essential hypertension

Obiective: To examine in essential hypertension (EH) the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ content at baseline and after in vitro activation. Subjects and methods: In 45 hypertensive subjects (27 men and 18 women; mean age 45.8 +/- 11.3 years) we evaluated the PMN membrane fluidity, obtained by labeling PMNs with 1-[4-(trimethyImino)phenyl]-6phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (TMA-DPH) and considering the TMA-DPH polarization degree, inversely related to the membrane fluidity, and the PMN cytosolic Ca2+ content, obtained by marking PMNs with Fura 2-AM. These PMN parameters were examined at baseline and after in vitro activation (prolonged for 5 min) with two agents…

Emoreologia ed ipertensione

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in subjects with vascular atherosclerotic disease subdivided according to the extent.

An abnormal activation state of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) plays a key role in organ injury induced by vascular atherosclerotic disease (VAD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). PMN membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ content can be considered markers of PMN activation. In this research we evaluated the PMN membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ content in VAD subjects with and without type 2 DM and examined the association between these parameters and the mono- or polyvascular localization. We enrolled 155 VAD subjects, including 92 non-diabetic (group A: mean age 63.6 +/- 9.2 years) and 63 diabetic patients (group B: mean age 65.4 +/- 7.8 years). Among group A 63 patients had monovascular …

Correlation between markers of oxidative status and plasma elastase in juvenile myocardial infarction.

Ruolo della Ciclofosfamide nel trattamento del Lupus Eritematoso Sistemico in paziente afroamericana con severo incremento degli indici di funzionalità renale.

Introduzione: la Ciclofosfamide rappresenta con il Micofenolato Mofetile uno tra i farmaci di scelta nelle fasi di induzione della nefrite lupica. Tuttavia, risulta ancora controverso il suo utilizzo nei soggetti di razza afroamericana. Caso Clinico: Paziente afroamericana puerpera di 36 anni, che giungeva alla nostra osservazione dopo parto cesareo in urgenza alla 34° settimana per riscontro di preclampasia. La paziente si presentava in stato anasarcatico, oligoanurica, con severa alterazione degli indici di funzione renale (Cr 4 mg/dl) proteinuria in range nefrosico ed anemizzazione severa. Storia di TBC linfonodale. Riscontro di positività ad esami bioumorali di autoimmunità: ANA, Anti- …

Nitric oxide metabolites, leukocyte activation markers and oxidative status in dialyzed subjects.

<i>Aims:</i> Our purpose was to evaluate, in a group of 42 end-stage renal disease patients who regularly undergo hemodialysis, some indexes of leukocyte activation, nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) and other parameters that reflect the oxidative stress before and after a standard hemodialysis session. <i>Methods:</i> Elastase and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were determined by means of ELISA. The NO production was evaluated by a micromethod which measures the concentration of NOx. The oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids was evaluated in plasma by detection of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). Total antioxidant status (TAS) was obtained using spectrophotom…

Behaviour of carbonyl groups in several clinical conditions: Analysis of our survey

Protein carbonylation is a marker of oxidative protein damage, that is likely involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protein carbonyl (PC) groups in different clinical conditions. It included different groups of subjects: 81 trained subjects; 23 subjects with mild essential hypertension; 31 middle-aged subjects with metabolic syndrome (MS); 106 subjects with MS not selected for age (subdivided into two subgroups, with and without diabetes mellitus); 91 obese adults subdivided in two subgroups (BMI 30-35 Kg/m2 and BMI > 35 kg/m2); 48 subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) subdivided in accordance with the apnea/hypopnea i…

Elastase, myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide metabolites and oxidative status in subjects with clinical stable chronic renal failure on conservative treatment

We evaluated, in a group of 41 CRF undialyzed subjects (29 men and 12 women, mean age 64.1 +/- 11.3 years), some parameters that reflect leukocyte activation (elastase, myeloperoxidase - MPO), plasma NO metabolites (NO(x)) and the oxidative status (lipid peroxidation expressed as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and total antioxidant status (TAS). Elastase was determined, on plasma separated from fasting venous blood, as elastase/alpha1-proteinase inhibitor complex. MPO was evaluated employing the Myeloperoxidase ELISA kit. The NO production was evaluated by a micromethod. The oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids was evaluated in plasma by detection of the thiobarbituric …

Moderata assunzione di vino e protezione vascolare

Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose —Several reports have considered the role of systemic leukocytes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Initially, greater attention was focused on the leukocyte count and subsequently on their adhesiveness, aggregation, rheology, and activation. The aim of this study was the evaluation of certain polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) parameters, reflecting their rheology and activation, in subjects with AIS. Methods —In a group of 19 subjects with AIS and in a control group of 18 subjects with asymptomatic vascular atherosclerotic disease, we evaluated the PMN membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca 2+ concentration at baseline and after in vitro chemotactic activation with 4-phorb…

Granulocyte integrins before and after activation in acute ischaemic stroke.

We examined in 19 subjects with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) the PMN integrin pattern (CD11a, CD11b, CD11c, CD18), using indirect immunofluorescence and adopting a flow cytometer, at baseline and during activation, prolonged for 5 and 15 min, with 4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). At baseline, an increase in the expression of CD11c and CD18 and a decrease in the CD11b were evident in AIS subjects compared to normals. After activation, we found in normals a constant and significant increase of all PMN adhesive molecules, while in AIS subjects, we found an increase in CD11b and CD18, a decrease in CD11a and no variation in CD11c. While the basal upregulation of CD11c and CD18 may depen…

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte: rheology, metabolism and integrin pattern in vascular atherosclerotic disease and in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Leukocytes, and in particular polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), play a role in the organ injury that characterizes the progression of vascular atherosclerotic disease (VAD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). We enrolled subjects with VAD, subjects with type 2 DM (DM2) and subjects with VAD and DM2. We evaluated the initial relative flow rate (IRFR) of PMN, using the St. George Filtrometer, the PMN membrane fluidity, labelling intact PMN cells with the fluorescent probe 1.4-(trimethylamino)-phenyl-4-phenylhexatriene (TMA-DPH), the PMN cytosolic Ca2+ content marking the cells with the fluorescent probe Fura 2-AM and the PMN integrin profile using the flow cytofluorimetry. All these evaluations were eff…

Deep venous thrombosis: polymorphonuclear leukocyte integrin profile

Relationship of choroidal thickness with pulsatile hemodynamics in essential hypertensive patients

Controversy exists about the association of choroidal thickness (CTh) with blood pressure (BP) values. There is some evidence suggesting that central hemodynamics changes are associated with microvascular disease. Our study was aimed to assess the relationships between CTh and clinic and 24-h BP and between CTh and estimated 24-h aortic pulse pressure (aPP), 24-h aortic systolic BP (aSBP), and 24-h aortic augmentation index (aAIx) in a group of hypertensive patients. We enrolled 158 hypertensive subjects (mean age 48 ± 13 years) all of which underwent evaluation of the choroidal district by Swept-Source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and 24-h BP monitoring, in order to measure periph…

Diabetes mellitus: oxidative stress and wine.

This review focuses on the link between diabetes mellitus and oxidative stress and, in particular, on the role that moderate wine consumption may play in preventing diabetic complications and the onset of diabetes. With this aim, a search of PubMed was carried out for literature published up to March 2003. In diabetes mellitus, oxidative stress results both from exposure to hyperglycaemia through glycoxidation and sorbitol system activation, and from functional limitation of the hexose monophosphate shunt, leading to a decrease in glutathione synthesis. Oxidative stress alters the plasma lipoprotein profile (particularly low-density lipoproteins), the coagulative parameters (with an increas…

Protein oxidation in chronic kidney disease.

An imbalance between oxidative processes and antioxidant systems has been widely demonstrated in chronic kidney diseases (CKD). In this study we enrolled 26 healthy subjects, 27 patients with CKD on conservative treatment (CT-CKD) with various degrees of renal failure, and 31 CKD subjects in haemodialysis treatment (HD-CKD), evaluated before and after a standard haemodialysis session. In each group we measured protein carbonyl groups (PC) as an index of protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and two plasma markers of leukocyte activation, elastase and myeloperoxidase (MPO). In CT-CKD subjects the PC level was significantly higher than in normal controls, and it was negatively correla…

Polymorphonuclear leucocyte rheology and cytosolic Ca2+ content after activation in chronic renal failure

SUMMARY: We evaluated polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) flow properties in patients with clinically stable chronic renal failure (CRF) and in control subjects at baseline and after activation with 4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP). Initial relative flow rate (IRFR) and clogging particles (CPs) were obtained using the St. George's Filtrometer, and PMN membrane fluidity was assessed by marking PMNs with 1-(4-(trimethylamino)phenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (TMA-DPH). PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration was determined by marking PMNs with Fura 2-AM. At baseline, CRF patients showed a significant increase only in PMN cytosolic Ca2+ content.…

Nitric oxide metabolites and oxidative stress in mild essential hypertension

Many papers have showed non univocal data about oxidative stress status and nitric oxide metabolites in essential hypertension. Considering this preamble we examined the total antioxidant status (TAS), the lipid peroxidation (LP), expressed as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), the stable end products of nitric oxide (NOx) and LP/NOx ratio in 25 subjects with untreated mild essential hypertension. The obtained data show a significant increase in TBARS (p < 0.001) and NOx (p < 0.001) in hypertensives and no variation in TAS and in TBARS/NOx ratio. None of these parameters was statistically related to the metabolic parameters or to the blood pressure values. The high level of li…

Alterazioni funzionali leucocitarie nella malattia ipertensiva

Polymorphonuclear integrins, membrane fluidity, and cytosolic Ca(2+) content after activation in essential hypertension.

Abstract —The purpose of this research was to obtain further information about the role of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in essential hypertension. These cells could be involved in the pathogenesis of organ injury. Thirty subjects (14 men and 16 women) with essential hypertension were enrolled. In these subjects we determined, at baseline and after in vitro activation with 4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and N -formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, the polymorphonuclear leukocyte membrane fluidity, obtained by labeling the cells with 1-[4-(trimethylamino)phenyl]-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, cytosolic Ca 2+ concentration, obtained by marking the cells with Fura 2-AM, and integrin pattern (C…

MIF rs755622 and IL6 rs1800795 Are Implied in Genetic Susceptibility to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by an increased risk of kidney failure and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Aging and comorbidities as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, or tumors, might increase the risk of dialysis. In addition, genetic susceptibility factors might modulate kidney damage evolution. We have analyzed, in a group of ESRD patients and matched controls, a set of SNPs of genes (Klotho rs577912, rs564481, rs9536314; FGF23 rs7955866; IGF1 rs35767; TNFA rs1800629; IL6 rs1800795; MIF rs755622, rs1007888) chosen in relation to their possible involvement with renal disease and concomitant pathologies. Analysis of the raw data did indicate …

Wine consumption in the Mediterranean diet: old concepts in a new sight

The term “Mediterranean diet” is widely employed to indicate the typical diet of the Countries located on the Mediter- ranean sea coast. A growing body of scientific literature pointed out the healthy effects of this diet. In recent years we investigated about the protective effects of a regular and moderate wine consumption. As we know, alcoholic and non alcoholic wine constituents are responsible of different effects by means of molecular and cell mechanisms. Among the non alcoholic components, polyphenols (for example resveratrol and quercetin) were deeply investigated. The aim of this review is to underline the effects of a moderate and regular wine drinking in the context of the Medite…

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte integrin expression in subjects with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus

R E L A Z I O N I T R A I N D I C E  D I R E S I S T E N Z A I N T R A PA R E N C H I M A L E R E N A L E E D E N S I TA’ VA S C O L A R E R E T I N I C A VA L U TATA M E D I A N T E A N G I O - O C T

Wine, Diet, and Arterial Hypertension

Hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in developed countries, and the number of prehypertensive patients is increasing. The beneficial effects of moderate wine consumption on cardiovascular diseases have been demonstrated, along with the healthy influence of a Mediterranean dietary pattern. The association of these 2 factors on hypertension and its complications is considered here. As wine polyphenols exert a vasorelaxing action, they might positively influence the hemodynamic situation of these patients. These effects could be enhanced by dietary constituents, such as garlic, onions, and olive oil, which are widely employed in Mediterranean cooking. By evaluating many studies…

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte integrin profile in vascular atherosclerotic disease with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Alterazioni emoreologiche nella sindrome metabolica

La sindrome metabolica (SM) si accompagna ad un elevato rischio cardiovascolare. Oltre ai tradizionali fattori di rischio, dei quali la SM rappresenta un’aggregazione, sono identificabili fattori non tradizionali quali l’assetto emoreologico. È noto da tempo che un disordine emoreologico si accompagna alla SM, ed è ipotizzabile una sua influenza sui meccanismi che instaurano e mantengono l’insulino-resistenza. In un gruppo di pazienti con SM abbiamo osservato un incremento della viscosità ematica e plasmatica e una riduzione della filtrabilità ematica. Il rapporto vita-fianchi, indice di obesità addominale, era direttamente correlato con la viscosità ematica e con l’ematocrito, mentre la vi…

Oxidative stress in juvenile myocardial infarction: evaluation at the initial stage and after 12 months.

Vino e salute

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte integrin pattern expression in atherosclerosis and diabetes

Acute prostaglandins and sympathetic activity changes due to amino acids load in essential hypertension

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in subjects with vascular atherosclerotic disease subdivided according to the extent

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte
integrin pattern in acute
ischemic stroke

Self-blood pressure monitoring as a tool to increase hypertension awareness, adherence to antihypertensive therapy, and blood pressure control

For many years, casual blood pressure (BP) taken by a sphygmomanometer in the clinic or at the physician's office has been used as the standard method for diagnosing hypertension. Even if such measurement has been the cornerstone on which our understanding of the consequences of hypertension is based, there is a huge and very consistent body of evidence indicating that casual measurements of BP may provide a very unreliable index for the evaluation of hypertension because of their variability. The two alternative ways of measuring BP that have been most commonly used are measurements made at home by the patient himself (home or self‐BP monitoring—SBPM) and measurements by ambulatory blood p…

Haemodynamics of primary aldosteronism associated with adrenocortical adenoma: insights from bioimpedance cardiography measurements

In mid 1950s, Dr Jerome Conn described a patient with hypertension, and renal potassium wasting associated with adrenocortical adenoma and increased urinary excretion of a sodium-retaining hormone, initially termed electrocortin, which was subsequently shown to be aldosterone. This was the first full report of primary hyperaldosteronism associated with an aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). It subsequently became apparent that similar abnormalities can occur in the absence of an adrenocortical tumor, and it is now recognized that the APA is just one of many subtypes of primary aldosteronism (PA).

The changing landscape of thromboprophylaxis for atrial fibrillation: insights from the ISPAF-2 survey

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac dysrhythmia. It represents a major public health problem due to increased mortality risk, reduced quality of life, and increased health costs [1, 2]. The prevalence of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) continues to increase worldwide, largely affecting the elderly, but also occurring in younger patients as a result of structural heart disease, autonomic imbalance, genetic abnormality, or previous cardiac surgery [3]. The rise in prevalence of AF is largely due to the increasing age of the population. About 1–2% of the total population is affected by AF, but the prevalence of this condition rises to ≈ 10% in individuals aged &gt; 75…

Stress ossidativo e markers di attivazione granulocitaria nell'insufficienza renale cronica in trattamento conservativo e dialitico.

Wine consumption and renal diseases: new perspectives.

Investigations into the relation between wine consumption and kidney disease have been limited. Patients with chronic renal failure show accelerated atherosclerotic damage and, considering the well-known protective effect of wine on the cardiovascular system, moderate wine consumption might be advantageous. Oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction, which are inter-related, play a role in the pathophysiology of many renal diseases, including acute and chronic renal failure. Ethanol and non-alcoholic wine components, especially polyphenols, influence oxidative balance and endothelial function. Although long-term alcohol abuse has been associated with many renal alterations in humans, in e…

Protein oxidation in mild essential hypertension

An intensified oxidative stress has been associated with aging and many disease, including essential hypertension (EH) [6, 11, 16]. In EH an increased level of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) may impair the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), by inducing its accelerated transformation in peroxynitrite [4]. Beside this, many other pathophysiological processes in EH may be influenced by RONS, considering their harmful effects on the structural and functional properties of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. Some points need to be further investigated, such as the relationship between oxidative stress and the degree of hypertension, and identification of the most useful marker of…

Elastasi e stress ossidativo in cardiopatici ischemici sottoposti a test ergometrico

Stress ossidativo in pazienti con sclerodermia: effetti dell’iloprost.

Arterial Hypertension and the Hidden Disease of the Eye: Diagnostic Tools and Therapeutic Strategies.

Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor that is responsible for a heavy burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A critical aspect of cardiovascular risk estimation in hypertensive patients depends on the assessment of hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD), namely the generalized structural and functional changes in major organs induced by persistently elevated blood pressure values. The vasculature of the eye shares several common structural, functional, and embryological features with that of the heart, brain, and kidney. Since retinal microcirculation offers the unique advantage of being directly accessible to non-invasive and relatively simple investigation tools, the…

Essential hypertension: polymorphonuclear leukocyte integrin profile

Sirtuins and Aging: is there a Role for Resveratrol?

Prolonged human life duration is consequently associated with a higher incidence of chronic diseases. Aging is a very complex process in which genetic, environmental and cellular pathways are involved. Along with aging, longevity has been linked with Sirtuins. Sirtuin enzymes are a family of highly conserved protein deacetylases that have been linked with calorie restriction and aging by modulating energy metabolism, genomic stability and stress resistance. Aim of this brief review is to describe Sirtuins’ influence on the conditions that worsen the physiological aging. We will also report the beneficial effects of the polyphenol resveratrol on these molecules and the possible therapeutical…

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte integrin profile in vascular atherosclerotic disease

Leukocyte-endothelial interactions could have a pathogenic role in atherogenesis. Adhesion molecules expressed by endothelial cells, such as intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), interact with leukocyte integrins mediating the firm adhesion of leukocytes to endothelium which is followed by their transendothelial migration. The aim of our research was to evaluate polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) integrin expression, at baseline and after activation, in a group of subjects with chronic vascular atherosclerotic disease (VAD). In 27 subjects with VAD we examined, at baseline and after in vitro activation with 4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), the PMN integrin pattern (CD11a, CD11b…

Evaluation of nitric oxide production at the initial stage, 3 months and 12 months after juvenile myocardial infarction.

BRUGADA PATTERN IN HEROIN ADDICTION: SYNDROME OR PHENOCOPY?

Brugada phenocopies (BrPs) are clinical entities that show an electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern similar to what is observed in Brugada syndrome (BrS). They are caused by different clinical conditions. We describe a case of BrP in a man that developed acute kidney failure secondary to rhabdomyolysis, after heroin addiction. His initial ECG showed Brugada type 1 pattern resolved after hemodialytic treatment. A provocative test with ajmaline, which resulted negative, was performed to confirm the diagnosis. BrPs can mimic a true BrS and a fast recognition of these clinical and electrocardiographic findings may avoid diagnostic mistakes thus preventing unnecessary or inaccurate treatmen

Chronic renal failure: oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction and wine.

Atherosclerosis development is accelerated in chronic renal failure (CRF) and is the major cause of death in this clinical condition. An increased oxidative stress and an endothelial dysfunction, with their complex interrelationships, are relevant aspects of atherogenesis in CRF patients and might be targets for treatment. Many studies have underlined the cardiovascular protection provided by a moderate wine consumption. This beneficial effect is due to both alcohol and nonalcoholic components of wine including several phenolic molecules such as quercetin and resveratrol. Wine polyphenols have antioxidant properties and favorably influence endothelial function, in particular by stimulating …

Pathophysiological and clinical aspects of malnutrition in chronic renal failure

AbstractKidney diseases are the ninth leading cause of death in the USA. In these patients cardiovascular mortality is greater than in the general population. This observation, not completely explained by the so-called ‘traditional’ cardiovascular risk factors, lead the authors to postulate other ‘emerging’ ones found in chronic renal failure patients. Among these new findings, nutritional status, considered as the balance existing between nutrient requirements and intakes, plays an important role for the development of cardiovascular diseases. In fact several nutritional parameters are widely known as pathophysiological determinants of cardiovascular disturbances, which are based on accele…

Nitric oxide metabolites in chronic renal failure in conservative and in haemodialysis treatment.

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte integrin expression in atherosclerosis and diabetes

Elastasi e parametri dello stress ossidativo nell’ipertensione arteriosa.

Nitric oxide metabolites (nitrite and nitrate) in young patients with recent acute myocardial infarction

Nitric oxide (NO) has a role in the pathophysiology of acute and chronic cardiovascular events. We studied the plasma concentration of NO stable end products (nitrite and nitrate - NO x ) in 43 patients aged <46 years, with recent acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The evaluation was effected at the initial stage, after 3 and 12 months. We subdivided the patients into subgroups according to the number of the main cardiovascular risk factors and to the extent of coronary disease. In the whole group the NO x concentration was initially increased and progressively decreased after 3 and 12 months, remaining at both times significantly higher than in control subjects. The patients with more risk…

Myeloperoxidase in chronic kidney disease.

The function of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1) in several clinical conditions: Results and analysis of our survey.

The goal of this research was to evaluate the plasma concentration of MMP-9 and its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1) in different clinical conditions. It included several groups of subjects: 31 overweight subjects; 91 obese adults divided into two subgroups according to the BMI value (BMI 30–35 Kg/m2 and BMI &gt; 35 Kg/m2); 90 subjects with metabolic syndrome (MS) divided into two subgroups (with and without diabetes mellitus); 100 subjects with preclinical carotid atherosclerosis (PCA) divided according to the number of cardiovascular risk factors and to the insulin resistance degree; 48 subjects with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) divided according to the apnoea/hypopnea index (AHI); 2…

Nitric oxide metabolites (nitrite and nitrate) in several clinical condition.

We determined the concentration of nitric oxide metabolites (NO2-+NO3-), expressed as NOx, in several clinical conditions. Regarding this, we have examined 25 subjects with arterial hypertension, 41 subjects with chronic kidney disease in conservative treatment, 106 subjects with metabolic syndrome subdivided according to the presence (n = 43) or not (n = 63) of diabetes mellitus, 48 subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), 14 women with systemic sclerosis complicated with Raynaud's phenomenon, 42 dialyzed subjects and 105 young subjects with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In subjects with arterial hypertension, chronic kidney disease, metabolic syndrome, systemic sclerosi…