No abstract

Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease caused by autoimmune response to a preceding group A streptococcal infection. Mean platelet volume (MPV) reflects the platelet size and the rate of platelet production in bone marrow, and it may be used as an indicator of platelet activation and severity of inflammation. Fifty-three consecutive patients diagnosed with acute rheumatic carditis and 53 control subjects were enrolled into this study. Leukocyte and platelet counts were significantly higher in patients with acute carditis before treatment compared with controls, whereas MPV and platelet distribution width (PDW) values were not significantly different between groups. Platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) values were decreased significantly in patients with RF after treatment. There was not a significant difference in terms of platelet count between the controls and the patient group after treatment. ESR was found to be correlated with CRP in patients before and after treatment. In conclusion, the results of our study showed that MPV and PDW levels do not change during acute rheumatic carditis before and after treatment.

Cardiovascular function and the elastic properties of major arteries are disturbed in children and adolescents with 21-hydroxylase-deficient CAH.

No abstract

It is well known that patients with solitary kidneys (SKs) are at risk of hypertension (HT), proteinuria, and glomerulosclerosis due to their low number of nephrons. 1-4 They tend to have higher levels of HT-associated end-organ damage markers, such as left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and microalbuminuria. 5 Congenital SKs (CSKs) or acquired SKs (ASKs) have different effects on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and blood pressure (BP).