Significance of tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with long-standing type-I diabetes mellitus.

Fifteen out of the forty-five patients with long-standing diabetes mellitus type I were characterised by the presence of TNFalpha in the sera when examined on several occasions over a period of five years. TNFalpha-producing patients had a better control of the disease and a smaller percentage of them suffered from diabetic complications as compared with those not producing this cytokine. TNFalpha-producing patients had lower levels of the proinflammatory markers - IL6 and CRP, and higher concentrations of ACTH and cortisol than those not producing this cytokine. We suggest that TNFalpha released systemically in diabetic patients stimulates the hypophysis-adrenal axis, and in that way indirectly ameliorates autoimmune response occurring during the advanced phase of the disease.

[Arterial hypertension caused by abnormality and translocation of the kidney]. / Nadcisnienie tetnicze w wyniku zaburzen rozwoju i przemieszczenia nerki.

The authors described developmental anomaly of the right kidney associated with hypertension and pyonephrosis in a 37 years old male. The authors reported the diagnostic problems in this kind of hypertension. After nephrectomy had been performed the elevated blood pressure returned to normal values without any additional pharmacological treatment.