Ewa Żukowska-Szczechowska

Endocrine function of the pancreas and gastrin secretion in patients with a kidney transplant.

In 24 patients with a kidney transplant and in 10 healthy subjects the test meal response of immunoreactive insulin (IRI), glucagon (IR-G), pancreatic polypeptide (IR-PP) and gastrin (IR-Ga) was studied. Patients with a kidney transplant showed significantly elevated basal plasma glucagon levels but normal levels of plasma IRI, IR-PP and IR-Ga. After administration of a test meal a significantly suppressed response of IRI, IR-PP and IR-Ga secretion was observed both in the patients treated with azathioprine as well as those treated with ciclosporin. In patients of the ciclosporin group the compromised response of IR-Ga and IRI secretion was significantly more marked than in subjects in the azathioprine group. From the results obtained in this paper it follows that the type of immunosuppressive drugs (azathioprine or ciclosporin) seems to be of minor importance in the pathogenesis of the described endocrine abnormalities.

The correlation between LDL-cholesterol and arterial wall elasticity indices

BACKGROUND Elevated serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration is a risk factor for atherosclerosis, which involves remodelling of the arterial walls with their subsequent stiffening. AIM We sought to evaluate the relationship between serum lipid levels and the elastic properties of the arterial wall. METHODS The study group comprised 315 men and women aged 55.84 ± 9.44 years. Serum glucose and lipid concentrations were determited. All subjects underwent blood pressure (BP) measurement, transthoracic echocardiography, and assessment of vascular compliance of large (C1) and small arteries (C2) using the HDI/Pulse Wave™ CR-2000 Research CardioVascular Profiling System (Hypertension Diagnostics Inc., Eagan, MN, USA). The subjects were divided into three groups: group I - LDL-C < 2.6 mmol/L, group II - LDL-C ≥ 2.6 mmol/L and < 4.0 mmol/L, and group III - LDL-C ≥ 4.0 mmol/L. RESULTS There were no intergroup differences with regard to smoking status (p = 0.56), serum glucose concentration (p = 0.13), body mass index (p = 0.96), systolic (p = 0.17) and diastolic BP (p = 0.29), or C1 (p = 0.09). However, C2 was higher in groups I and II than in group III (5.12 ± 2.57 vs. 5.18 ± 2.75 vs. 4.20 ± 1.58 mL/mmHg × 100, respectively, p < 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis negated the independent associations between C1 and serum lipid levels. In contrast, C2 was independently inversely associated with serum LDL-C concentration (r = -0.15, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Higher serum LDL-C concentration seems to contribute independently to stiffening of small arterial vasculature in otherwise healthy adults. Screening for dyslipidaemia in the general population and its prompt treatment are highly recom-mended.