Long-Term Consequences of Increased Activity of Urine Enzymes After Cardiac Surgery - A Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Cardiac surgery associated AKI (CSA-AKI) complicates recovery and may be associated with a greater risk of developing chronic kidney disease and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess long-term clinical consequences of transient increased activity of urinary enzymes after cardiac surgery (CS).

Methods: An observational study was conducted in a group of 88 adult patients undergoing planned coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), but all samples were obtained from 79 patients.

Translocation of Exogenous FGF1 and FGF2 Protects the Cell against Apoptosis Independently of Receptor Activation.

FGF1 and FGF2 bind to specific cell-surface tyrosine kinase receptors (FGFRs) and activate intracellular signaling that leads to proliferation, migration or differentiation of many cell types. Besides this classical mode of action, under stress conditions, FGF1 and FGF2 are translocated in a receptor-dependent manner via the endosomal membrane into the cytosol and nucleus of the cell. However, despite many years of research, the role of translocated FGF1 and FGF2 inside the cell remains unclear.

Iron excretion in urine in patients with acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery.

Background: Hemolysis during cardiopulmonary bypass may lead to acute kidney injury caused by an excessive amount of iron. The clinical usefulness of the measurement of total iron concentration in the urine with the use of the atomic absorption spectrometry method for early identification of patients with postoperative acute kidney injury is not well-established.

Objectives: An observational, prospective study was conducted on a group of 88 pre-selected adult patients undergoing a planned coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedure.

Cardiac surgery related cardio-renal syndrome assessed by conventional and novel biomarkers - under or overestimated diagnosis?

Introduction: Serum creatinine is a 'gold standard' criterion of recognizing and staging of acute kidney injury (AKI) despite it being a suboptimal, delayed indicator. The interpretation of increased values of biomarkers imposes great difficulty regarding cardiac surgery procedures performed with cardiopulmonary bypass and may lead to under- or overestimated diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the sole serum creatinine or urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) concentration used for identification of patients with AKI after cardiac surgery.

Clinical and Biochemical Characteristics of Brain-Dead Donors as Predictors of Early- and Long-Term Renal Function After Transplant.

Objectives: Organs from brain-dead donors are the main source of allografts for transplant. Comparisons between living-donor and brain-dead donor kidneys show that the latter are more likely to demonstrate delayed graft function and lower long-term survival. This study aimed to assess the effects of various clinical and biochemical factors of donors on early- and long-term renal function after transplant.

Urinary IL-8 is a marker of early and long-term graft function after renal transplantation.

In this study, we examined whether the IL-8 content of urine sampled on day 1 and day 14 after renal transplantation is a marker of early and long-term renal function. Moreover, we assessed whether its concentration is positively correlated with the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) content of urine sampled on day 1 and day 30 and 12 months after renal transplantation. Our analysis covered 87 patients who underwent a kidney transplant.

Activity of urine arylsulfatase A in brain‑dead graft donors is a predictor of early and late graft function.

Objective: Human lysosomal arylsulfatase A (ASA) is a member of the sulfatase family. Arylsulfatase A is required to degrade sulfatides. Sulfatides occur in the myelin sheets of the central and peripheral nervous system.

Effect of Immunosuppressive Therapy on Proteinogram in Rats.

BACKGROUND It has been observed that the use of immunosuppressive drugs in patients after transplantation of vascularized organs may be associated with changes in the concentration of certain fractions of plasma proteins. The concentration of these proteins was correlated with an increased risk of occurrence of stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). This article examines the effect of the most commonly used immunosuppressive drugs on the concentration of plasma proteins in Wistar rats.

Urinary Metalloproteinases-9 and -2 and Their Inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 are Markers of Early and Long-Term Graft Function After Renal Transplantation.

Background/aims: Renal ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury (IRI) is an inseparable feature of organ transplantation and may have a negative impact on the graft, its function and survival. Acute tubular necrosis, which is reversible thanks to the regenerative capacity of renal tubular epithelial cells, is the main cause of acute renal failure secondary to IRI. MMP-2 and MMP-9 are proteolytic enzymes involved in digesting proteins that are components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the basement membrane of the nephrons.

Identification of new FGF1 binding partners-Implications for its intracellular function.

Besides its classical mode of action through activation of specific receptors at the cell surface, fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) can also cross the cellular membrane and translocate into the cytosol and further to the nucleus. The mechanism of this translocation is described partially, but the role of FGF1 inside the cell remains unknown. The aim of our work was to identify novel binding partners of FGF1 to predict its intracellular functions.

Urinary excretion of brush-border enzymes of the proximal renal tubules in pregnant women with hypertensive disorders.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate urinary excretion of three brush border enzymes: gamma-glutamyl transferase, alanine aminopeptidase, and leucyl aminopeptidase in pregnant women with various types of hypertensive disorders.

Material And Methods: The study included 120 pregnant women, further subdivided into four groups: 41 women at ≥ 20 weeks gestation with gestational hypertension, 28 women > 20 weeks of pregnancy with preeclampsia, 21 women with chronic hypertension identified > 20 weeks of pregnancy and 30 healthy pregnant controls.

Results: No significant differences in urinary levels of all three of the brush border enzymes were found between the groups.

The impact of hemodialysis on erythrocyte membrane cytoskeleton proteins.

Background: Hemodialysis (HD) is one of the methods of renal replacement therapy, but it also contributes to an increase in oxidative stress. Hemodialysis leads to changes in the erythrocyte cytoskeleton structure, whilst the presence of glucose in the dialysis fluid which activates the pentose phosphate pathway contributes to the intensification of oxidative stress. Available literature lacks reports on the effect of glucose in the dialytic fluid on the composition of proteins of the cell membrane cytoskeleton.

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase as the marker of kidney graft function.

Background: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is a glycoprotein of the external surface of various cell types. The activity of GGT has been observed in cells and tissues with secretory activity, such as the proximal tubular cells in kidneys. GGT also plays an important pro-oxidant role, stimulating the generation of hydroxyl radicals, and increases membrane lipid peroxidation.

[Nutritional status of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis].

Introduction: The main causes of death in patients undergoing dialysis are cardiovascular diseases. Their presence is related to the nutritional status of patients treated with peritoneal dialysis, and has a predicted value in this kind of patient. Long-term therapy entails unfavourable changes, from which a clinically significant complication is protein-energy malnutrition and intensification of inflammatory processes.

Effects of immunosuppressive treatment on protein expression in rat kidney.

The structural proteins of renal tubular epithelial cells may become a target for the toxic metabolites of immunosuppressants. These metabolites can modify the properties of the proteins, thereby affecting cell function, which is a possible explanation for the mechanism of immunosuppressive agents' toxicity. In our study, we evaluated the effect of two immunosuppressive strategies on protein expression in the kidneys of Wistar rats.

The effect of immunosuppressive therapy on renal cell apoptosis in native rat kidneys.

Aim: To analyse the impact of the most commonly used immunosuppressive drugs on the occurrence of apoptosis in the native kidneys of Wistar rats.

Method: The study involved 36 rats. the animals being grouped according to the immunosuppressive regimen used (tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine A, rapamycin and prednisone).

N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase urine activity as a marker of early proximal tubule damage and a predictor of the long-term function of the transplanted kidneys.

Introduction: Ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a factor leading to the damages of the transplanted kidney, what affects mainly the proximal tubules. Early monitoring of tubule damage can be an efficient tool to predict the allograft dysfunction. Present in proximal tubules, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) is a lysosomal enzyme whose excretion rises as a result of IRI or acute rejection.

Urinary lysosomal enzyme excretion in pregnant women with hypertensive disorders.

Background: The authors assessed proximal renal tubular dysfunction and/or damage in pregnant women with various types of hypertension by measuring the three urinary lysosomal enzyme levels: N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG), arylsulfatase A and β-glucuronidase.

Methods: The study consisted of 120 pregnant women divided into four groups: 41 women in 20th week of gestation or more, with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH group), 28 pregnant women after 20 weeks of pregnancy with pre-eclampsia (PE group), 21 pregnant women with chronic hypertension, identified before 20th week of pregnancy (CH group) and 30 healthy, pregnant women (healthy controls (HC) group).

Results: Statistical analysis showed significantly higher levels of all the three of lysosomal enzymes in the urine of patients with PE compared with the healthy pregnant women, pregnant women with PIH and the ones with chronic hypertension.

Nucleolin regulates phosphorylation and nuclear export of fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1).

Extracellular fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) acts through cell surface tyrosine kinase receptors, but FGF1 can also act directly in the cell nucleus, as a result of nuclear import of endogenously produced, non-secreted FGF1 or by transport of extracellular FGF1 via endosomes and cytosol into the nucleus. In the nucleus, FGF1 can be phosphorylated by protein kinase C δ (PKCδ), and this event induces nuclear export of FGF1. To identify intracellular targets of FGF1 we performed affinity pull-down assays and identified nucleolin, a nuclear multifunctional protein, as an interaction partner of FGF1.

Adipokines and parameters of peritoneal membrane transport in newly started peritoneal dialysis patients.

Aim: Adiponectin and leptin are two adipokines playing important roles in the regulation of body weight, appetite, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) adipokines accumulate in serum due to reduced renal clearance. Since adipokines have pleiotropic actions, the adipokine balance may have an impact on peritoneal membrane transport.

Calcium-phosphate metabolism parameters and erythrocyte Ca(2+) concentration in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease patients with normal renal function.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess calcium-phosphate metabolism of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients with a special consideration to the following serum parameters: calcium (Ca(2+)), inorganic phosphate (Pi), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and intracellular erythrocyte calcium ([Ca(2+)]i) concentrations.

Material And Methods: The study included 49 adult ADPKD patients (19 males, 30 females) aged 36 ±11 years with normal renal function and no diagnosis of diabetes as well as 50 healthy controls (22 males, 28 females) matched for age and gender. Serum concentrations of sodium (Na(+)), potassium (K(+)) and magnesium (Mg(2+)) ions and Pi were determined with an indirect ion-selective method, while Ca2+ concentration was measured with a direct ion-selective method.

[Polymorphisms in the oxidative stress-related genes and cancer risk].

Oxidative damage induced by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is thought to be related to human cancer aetiology. Oxidative stress can result in DNA damage, including oxidized bases, formation of DNA adducts and DNA strand breaks, as well as lipid peroxidation, protein modification, membrane disruption and mitochondrial damage. The effect of reactive oxygen species is balanced by the antioxidant action ofnonenzymatic antioxidants (e.

Oxidative stress modulates the organization of erythrocyte membrane cytoskeleton.

Background: Apart from their main role in transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide, erythrocytes play also an important role in organism antioxidative defence. Direct exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS) results in shortening of their half-life, even by 50%. The presence of glucose, being the substrate in pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) cycle, is one of the factors that can have influence on the level of oxidative stress.

Conjugated linoleic acid isomers may diminish human macrophages adhesion to endothelial surface.

Dysfunction of endothelial cells and activation of monocytes in the vascular wall are important pathogenetic factors of atherosclerosis. Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) can modulate the function of immune system in humans: reduce the concentration of atherogenic lipoproteins, and the intensity of inflammatory processes in the plasma. In this paper, we focus on macrophage's surface integrins (β1 integrin CD49d/CD29-(VLA4); Mac-1 as well as endothelial human vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) surface adhesins: vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intracellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1)) expression in relation to CLA isomer used during cell culture.