End-stage renal failure (ESRD) induces a clinical state of immunodeficiency with a higher incidence of infections and a higher mortality due to infectious complications compared with the normal population. Using a newly developed immunofluorescent staining of intracellular cytokines for flow cytometric analysis, we studied Th subsets in 22 healthy control subjects, 28 patients with compensated chronic renal failure (CRF), 25 patients on hemodialysis (HD), and 24 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Our results demonstrate that the percentage of both interferon-γ-positive cells and interleukin-4-positive cells increased in compensated CRF patients compared with those in healthy subjects. Moreover, a significantly higher percentage of CD4-positive cells is characterized by a Th1-type cytokine production pattern in HD patients and by a Th2-type cytokine secretion pattern in CAPD patients. These results suggest that the altered Th1/Th2 balance may be associated with the pathogenesis of ESRD.

We have developed a new home blood pressure (BP) monitoring system by using cellular telephone and the Internet. All data of home BP and pulse rate were directly collected by I-converter date collecting system and sent online to a main server constructed in a central data center. The home doctor can monitor the exercise data of each patient by using this system. This home BP monitoring system was directly connected to the Internet by using application service provider technology (ASP). Anytime and anywhere, each patient can check the changes of these parameters by themselves by using cellular telephone and/or the Internet. The average of the data was calculated and demonstrated online. In real time, all data were monitored and sent to the home doctor's office. In the present study, we tried to use this monitoring system to compare the effect of some antihypertensive drugs on home BP. To compare the effects of telmisartan (TEL) and amlodipine (AM) on home BP, home BP was monitored for eight weeks using this telemedicine system. The target point of office BP was 140/90 mmHg or less. After two weeks control period, telmisartan (TEL group: 20-80 mg/day, n = 21) or amlodipine (AM group: 2.5-10 mg/day, n = 19) was orally administrated once a day in the morning. There was no significant difference of office BP between these two groups. Systolic home BP was significantly decreased from 144 +/- 4 to 134 +/- 3 mmHg (TEL group) and from 143 +/- 4 to 135 +/- 3 mmHg (AM group), respectively. There was no significant difference in the changes of home BP in the morning between groups (eight weeks home systolic BP reduction, TEL: 15 +/- 2 mmHg, AM: 13 +/- 2 mmHg). However the reduction of home BP in the evening in TEL group was significantly bigger than AM group (eight weeks home systolic BP reduction, TEL: 13 +/- 3 vs. AM: 6 +/- 3 mmHg). From these data, we concluded that there is a big difference on the effects of antihypertensive agents on diurnal variation and 24hr overall BP variability in home BP. TEL has a good effect on home BP for 24 hours compared to AM. This telemedicine system has a great advantage in monitoriong home BP correctly in hypertensive patients.

No abstract

Nifedipine CR had a stronger antihypertensive effect than amlodipine during the critical morning period, but the morning pulse rate was higher. Our new data transmission system was effective for collecting precise data on the blood pressure and pulse rate via the internet.

A 60-year-old man who had been receiving dialysis for more than 30 years was admitted for treatment of cellulitis in his right thigh on November 7, 2003. He suffered from an ileus on December 14 and was found to have a huge, 7-cm-diameter, well-circumscribed fecalith, incarcerated at the splenic flexure of the colon. It was proving difficult to pass this naturally and surgical removal was thought to be too risky. Using a colonoscope and a water-jet probe, the fecalith was broken up; the ileus then improved and the patient was able to take oral fluids. Unfortunately, he died of cardiac failure on February 13, 2004. We conducted an autopsy, with his family's consent, and found generalized amyloidosis. Deposits of amyloid were seen in all layers of the colon. Because of this, we hypothesized that peristalsis had been poor and this had led to paralytic ileus due to stasis, which, in turn, had led to the formation of the huge fecalith. In Japan it is not rare for a patient to be on dialysis for more than 25 years and it may be that this is a cause of generalized amyloidosis. There have been no such cases of fecalith associated with gastrointestinal amyloidosis described previously, which is why we decided to report this case here.