| 1. |
- Engström, Gunnar, et al.
(author)
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Blood pressure increase and incidence of hypertension in relation to inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins.
- 2002
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In: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. - 1524-4636. ; 22:12, s. 2054-2058
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective— The reasons for the relationship between inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins (ISPs) and incidence of cardiovascular diseases are poorly understood. This study explored the hypothesis that ISPs are associated with future hypertension and age-related blood pressure increase. Method and Results— Blood pressure and plasma levels of fibrinogen, {alpha}1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, and orosomucoid were determined in 2262 healthy men aged 35 to 50 years, initially without treatment for hypertension. The cohort was re-examined after 15.7 (±2.2) years. Incidence of hypertension and blood pressure increase was studied in relation to number of elevated proteins (ie, in the top quartile) at baseline. Among men without treatment for hypertension at follow-up, mean (±SD) increase in systolic blood pressure was 18.8±17, 19.2±17, 19.3±17, and 22.1±18 mm Hg, respectively, for men with 0, 1, 2, and >=3 elevated proteins (P for trend=0.02, adjusted for confounders). The corresponding values for pulse pressure increase was 15.5±14, 15.8±14, 17.4±14, and 17.8±15 mm Hg, respectively (P=0.02). Incidence of hypertension (>=160/95 mm Hg or treatment) and future blood pressure treatment showed similar associations with ISPs. Increase in diastolic blood pressure showed no association with ISPs. Conclusions— Plasma levels of ISPs are associated with a future increase in blood pressure. This could contribute to the relationship between ISP levels and cardiovascular disease.
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| 2. |
- Wernersson, Lars-Erik, et al.
(author)
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Attractive potential around a buried metallic gate in a Schottky Collector Hot Electron Transistor
- 2002
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In: Institute of Physics Conference Series. - 0951-3248. ; 170, s. 81-85
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on the formation of an attractive potential around buried metal wires in a novel design for the Hot Electron Transistor (HET). In this device, the doped base layer in the HET is replaced by an embedded metal grating, which is forward biased beyond flat band conditions in order to efficiently extract carriers from the emitter into the active region. These carriers are collected in a Schottky Collector contact. By tuning the gate and collector voltages, the potential profile around the wires can be repulsive as well as attractive. This is a key result for the realisation of a Biprism device.
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| 3. |
- Annuk, Margus, et al.
(author)
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Cyclooxygenase inhibition improves endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in patients with chronic renal failure
- 2002
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In: Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0931-0509 .- 1460-2385. ; 17:12, s. 2159-2163
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Some studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of L-arginine as a substrate for nitric oxide synthesis, and diclofenac as an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (COX)-derived vasoconstrictive agents on vascular responses in humans during several pathological conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the acute effects of L-arginine and diclofenac on endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (EDV) and endothelium-independent vasodilatation (EIDV) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). METHODS: Effects of L-arginine and diclofenac on EDV and EIDV were measured in 15 patients with CRF and in 15 healthy controls by means of forearm blood flow measurements with venous occlusion plethysmography during local intra-arterial infusions of methacholine (2 and 4 micro g/min evaluating EDV) and sodium nitroprusside (5 and 10 micro g/min evaluating EIDV). RESULTS: L-Arginine infusion increased methacholine-induced vasodilatation both in patients with CRF and healthy controls. Diclofenac infusion increased methacholine-induced vasodilatation only in patients with CRF. There was no significant change in nitroprusside-induced vasodilatation after L-arginine and diclofenac infusions both in patients with CRF and healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that COX inhibition reduces the levels of a prostanoid-derived vasoconstrictive agent contributing to the impaired EDV in patients with CRF, while in this age group L-arginine improves EDV regardless of renal function.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Björklund, Kristina, et al.
(author)
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Different metabolic predictors of white-coat and sustained hypertension over a 20-year follow-up period : a population-based study of elderly men
- 2002
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In: Circulation. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 106:1, s. 63-68
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background— The clinical significance of white-coat hypertension is still unclear. Moreover, no study has examined metabolic predictors of white-coat versus sustained hypertension. Methods and Results— We investigated men (n=602) in a longitudinal population-based cohort who at age 70 years were identified as normotensive, white-coat hypertensive (office blood pressure [BP] ≥140/90 and daytime ambulatory BP <135/85 mm Hg), and sustained hypertensive (office BP ≥140/90 and daytime ambulatory BP ≥135/85 mm Hg). At baseline, when the subjects were aged 50 years, blood glucose, insulin, lipids, and fatty acid composition of the serum cholesterol esters were analyzed. The investigations at age 70 years included determination of insulin sensitivity and target organ damage. At age 50 years, individuals who 20 years later were identified as white-coat hypertensive or sustained hypertensive showed significantly elevated BP, heart rate, and impaired glucose tolerance compared with normotensive subjects but white coat hypertensive subjects were leaner and had a more favorable serum cholesterol ester fatty acid profile than did sustained hypertensive subjects. At age 70 years, both white-coat and sustained hypertensive subjects showed an impaired insulin sensitivity, elevated blood glucose, and increased serum insulin and heart rate compared with normotensive subjects, but left ventricular mass and urinary albumin excretion were increased only in sustained hypertensive subjects. Conclusions— These findings indicate that although metabolic abnormalities and elevated heart rate were consistent over time in both hypertensive groups, a lower body mass index and more favorable dietary fat composition predicted the development of white-coat as opposed to sustained hypertension over 20 years.
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| 8. |
- Brändström, Helena, et al.
(author)
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A single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of the human gene for osteoprotegerin is related to vascular morphology and function
- 2002
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In: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications - BBRC. - 0006-291X .- 1090-2104. ; 293:1, s. 13-17
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a secreted member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, and has previously been shown to regulate bone mass by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and activation. Recent evidence indicates that OPG also plays a role in the vascular system, since ablation of the OPG gene in mice results in calcification of the aorta and renal arteries, and association has been found between serum levels of OPG and cardiovascular mortality. This study presents a novel single nucleotide polymorphism, a T/C transition located 129 bp upstream the TATA-box of the human OPG gene, detected by sequence analysis. The OPG genotype was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism in a cohort consisting of 59 healthy subjects. The intima-media thickness (IMT) in the common carotid artery and maximal post-ischemic forearm blood flow (FBF) were investigated. Subjects with the CC genotype showed a significantly increased IMT (p<0.05) and a concommitantly reduced maximal FBF (p<0.01) as compared to those with the T allele. Thus, our results show that the polymorphism in the promoter region of OPG is associated with both vascular morphology and function in apparently healthy subjects.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Engström, Gunnar, et al.
(author)
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Long-term effects of inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins and systolic blood pressure on incidence of stroke.
- 2002
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In: Stroke: a journal of cerebral circulation. - 1524-4628. ; 33:12, s. 2744-2749
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and Purpose— The present study investigated the relationships between inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins (ISPs) and systolic blood pressure (SBP), as well as the joint long-term effects of ISP and SBP on incidence of stroke. Methods— BP and 5 ISPs (fibrinogen, {alpha}1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, orosomucoid) were assessed in 6071 healthy men 28 to 61 years of age. All-cause mortality and incidence of stroke were monitored over a mean follow-up of 18.7 years in men defined by SBP (<120, 120 to 139, >=140 mm Hg) and ISP (0 to 1 or 2 to 5 ISPs in the top quartile). Results— SBP and diastolic BP were significantly and positively associated with the number of ISPs in the top quartile. As expected, elevated SBP was associated with an increased incidence of stroke. Among men with SBP >=140 mm Hg, there were, however, significant differences between those with high and low ISP levels. After risk factor adjustment, men with SBP >=140 mm Hg and high ISP levels had a relative risk of stroke of 4.3 (95% CI, 2.3 to 7.8) compared with men with SBP <120 mm Hg and low ISP levels. In the absence of high ISP levels, the risk associated with SBP >=140 was 2.5 (95% CI,1.4 to 4.6). Men with high ISP levels had a significantly increased risk of stroke also after exclusion of the events from the first 10 years of follow-up. Conclusions— High ISP levels are associated with elevated BP. These proteins are associated with an increased risk of stroke among men with high BP and provide information on stroke risk even after many years of follow-up.
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