Assessment of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients with resistant hypertension

Objective: To investigate the possible correlation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and resistant hypertension [RH]

Subjects and Methods: Patients who had undergone ambulatory blood pressure measurements [ABPM] during outpatient controls were enrolled. Fifty subjects with RH, 50 with controlled hypertension [CHT] and 50 normotensive subjects [NT] were included in the study. RH was defined as 'suboptimal blood pressure control despite using 3 antihypertensive agents including a diuretic or need for 4 or more drugs to control blood pressure'. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathormone levels were compared between the groups. Pearson's correlation coefficient test was applied to assess the correlation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and office blood pressure [BP] and ABPM. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlates of RH

Results: The 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was significantly lower in the RH group [17.02 +/- 5.4 ng/ml] compared to the CHT [24.9 +/- 4.8 ng/ml] and NT groups [28.0 +/- 5.7 ng/ml, p < 0.001]. In univariate correlation analysis, 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels had a significant negative correlation with office systolic BP [r = -0.329, p < 0.001], office diastolic BP [r = -0.395, p < 0.001], systolic ambulatory BP [r = -0.844, p = 0.004], and diastolic ambulatory BP [r = -0.567, p = 0.005]. ROC analysis revealed that 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels <21.50 ng/ml predicted the presence of RH with a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 79% [AUC = 0.89, 95% CI 0.83-0.94]. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was independently correlated with the presence of RH [beta 0.660, 95% CI 0.572-0.760, p < 0.001]

Conclusion: There was an independent correlation between lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and presence of RH

unusual association between familial mediterranean fever and IgM nephropathy

To report a case with the diagnosis of IgM nephropathy and familial Mediterranean fever [FMF]. Clinical Presentation and Intervention: A 9-year-old boy was admitted to our hospital with recurrent abdominal pain since the age of 4 years. Laboratory investigations revealed a sedimentation rate of 88 mm/h, C-reactive protein: 83.2 mg/l [0-10 mg/l], white blood cell count: 12,700/mm3, fibrinogen: 622 mg/dl [200-400 mg/dl] and serum amyloid A: 186 mg/l [0-5.8 mg/l]. Urinalysis revealed +2 proteinuria. A 24-hour urinary protein excretion was 12 mg/m2/h. M694V homozygous mutation was identified in exon 10. Percutaneous renal biopsy showed mesangial cell proliferation and increased mesangial matrix in the glomeruli, without amyloid accumulation. Immunofluorescence study showed IgM [+1] and C1q [+1] deposits. Treatment with 1 mg/day colchicine was started. Six weeks later, proteinuria had disappeared and the patient was asymptomatic. This case illustrates the unusual association of FMF with non-amyloid glomerulopathy. Glomerular diseases such as IgM nephropathy may be seen as a manifestation of FMF