Fetal pseudohypoaldosteronism: rare cause of hydramnios

PHA is a rare cause of hydramnios, characterized by increased amniotic fluid levels of aldosterone and sodium. Two distinct genetic entities (PHA type I and PHA type II) are included. Both are stemmed by a target organ defect with diminished renal tubular responsiveness to aldosterone. The AA present a case in which pregnancy resulted in a preterm infant with severe hydramnios, metabolic acidosis, hyponatriemia, hyperkaliemia. Salt and fluid replacement significantly improved clinical and metabolic condition. However a growth deficiency (-2 SDS) persists at follow-u

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1\u3b1(Pro-582-Ser) polymorphism prevents iron deprivation in healthy blood donors

Frequent blood loss induces progressive depletion of iron stores, leading to iron deficiency and, ultimately, to overt iron-deficient anaemia. The erythropoietin-mediated bone marrow response to anaemia is under the control of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF), the master regulators of oxygen and iron homeostasis. Since the HIF-1\u3b1(Pro-582-Ser) variant is associated with elevated trans-activation capacity of hypoxia responsive elements of target genes, we investigated whether the HIF-1\u3b1(Pro-582-Ser) polymorphism might influence the response to repeated blood withdrawals

Endothelial progenitor cell trafficking in human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people exhibit a high incidence of vascular diseases. Since in the general population the high cardiovascular risk has been associated with an impaired endothelial cell function, we investigated circulating endothelial progenitor cells in HIV-positive patients