Possible new role for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in treating glomerulonephritis

Serum transforming growth factor-beta [TGF-beta1] production was estimated for 10 patients with essential hypertension, 12 patients with glomerulonephritis [5 hypertensive and 7 normotensive] and 10 healthy controls. The glomerulonephritis group received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril 25-75 mg/day for 4 weeks. Blood urea, serum creatinine, 24-hour urinary protein and serum TGF-beta1 were then re-estimated. Urea and creatinine were significantly higher in the hypertension and glomerulonephritis groups than in the controls and also higher in the glomerulonephritis group than the hypertension group. TGF-beta1 was significantly higher in the glomerulonephritis groups than in the control and hypertension groups. TGF-beta1 and 24-hour urinary protein were significantly reduced in the glomerulonephritis group

Chronic high dose glucocorticoids accelerates renal disease in patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome

Fifteen young nephrotic patients in incomplete remission who were on two different chronic prednisone treatment regimens, were studied. Group 1 included 6 patients who were on high dose prednisone and group 2 included 9 patients who were on low dose prednisone and azathioprine. The two groups were followed for two months as regards their weight, blood pressure, extent of edema, serum creatinine and 24 hours proteinuria. Renal biopsy was done at the end of the study period. There was a significant drop in the extent of proteinuria in both groups at the study [P<0.05]. Renal biopsy showed a higher incidence in group 1 than group 2 of tubular atrophy, interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis, hypertrophic changes in arterioles and focal and segmental obsolescence and hyalinosis of the glomeruli. It is concluded that chronic administration of high dose steroids to patients with compromised renal pathology can be associated with acceleration of glomerular injury

Glycemic index of some common Egyptian diets in NIDDM

It is well known that different carbohydrate foods elicit a wide spectrum of plasma glucose responses when eaten without other foods [Garpo et al., 1980]. The choice of carbohydrate diet should not be based on its chemical composition but on the glycemic index it produces [Garpo et al, 1981]. The aim of this work is to study the glycemic response of some.commonly used Egyptian foods in their individual and mixed forms to determine their effects on blood glucose response and hence, the possibility of incorporating them into diets of non-insulin dependent diabetics. Sixty adult NIDDM patients were studied. They were divided into six groups studied for foods each containing an equivalent amount of carbohydrate to 100 gm of glucose. The glycemic responses were calculated according to the formula of Jenkins [1981]. It has been found that the tested diets gave blood glucose responses much lower than those of equivalent amounts of glucose in a liquid formula. Leguminous diets [beans and lentils] gave lower glycemic indices then cereals [bread], with the glycemic index of lentils being lower than that of beans. Regarding mixed diets, bread and tamia had higher index than other tested foods. On previous studies [Khater 1986A and 1986B] we found the same difference in glycemic response to the tested foods in normals. This finding is different from Collier et al [1986], who found different glycemic response to the same diet between normals and diabetic individuals