Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) are systemic autoimmune diseases that may lead to renal failure due to the infiltration of mononuclear cells and the destruction of small- and medium-sized blood vessels. It has been shown that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may trigger the presentation or exacerbation of autoimmune diseases. Crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN) has rarely been reported in patients with Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). We present rare two cases with AAV after a recent diagnosis of COVID-19. The first case was 26-year-old male patient, who was presented with acute kidney injury after COVID-19. Serum creatinine increased and active urine sediment was seen. Serological evaluation showed anti-myeloperoxidase antibody was at a level of 80.6 U/mL. Kidney biopsy showed necrotizing GN with cellular crescents. Methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide and plasma exchange were administered. He was discharged with hemodialysis. Second case was a 36-year-old female who was hospitalized because of fever, cough and dyspnea. After she was diagnosed with COVID-19, she had total hearing loss, with cavitary lesions on bilateral lung parenchyma and an acute kidney injury. Serological evaluation showed an elevated anti-proteinase-3 with a level of 1:32. Kidney biopsy showed necrotizing GN with cellular crescents. Renal function improved after methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide treatment. With a systematic review of the literature, we found four cases of new-onset AAV due to COVID-19. Herein, we discuss two cases and provide a literature review on cases of new-onset pauci-immune GN after COVID-19 infection.

SUMMARYIncreased serum urate concentration is a frequent finding in patients with hypertension. Since hyperuricemia is associated with obesity, renal disease, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis, whether or not serum urate is a cardiovascular risk factor per se has remained elusive.The subjects were 210 Turkish male and 210 female adults over 20 years of age. None had diabetes mellitus, endocrine diseases, or renal or hepatic disease, and those receiving antihypertensive drugs, systemic corticosteroids, or lipid-lowering drugs were excluded. Height, weight, blood pressure, serum glucose, lipid profiles, serum insulin, DHEA-SO 4 , and leptin were measured in the morning after an overnight fast.Women had significantly higher mean leptin (20.3 ± 0.88 ng/mL vs 5.78 ± 0.39 ng/ mL, P < 0.001) and lower mean uric acid (248.03 ± 4.76 µmol/L vs 311.6 ± 5.35 µmol/ L, P < 0.001), triglyceride (1.42 ± 0.06 mmol/L vs 1.61 ± 0.06 mmol/L, P < 0.001), and DHEA-SO 4 (3.02 ± 0.17 µmol/L vs 4.43 ± 0.19 µmol/L, P < 0.001) concentrations than men, even when adjusted for BMI. On univariate correlation analysis, leptin showed the strongest association with BMI in both sexes and also correlated significantly with BMI, insulin, uric acid, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides in males and BMI, insulin, uric acid, total cholesterol, apo B, and creatinine in females after adjustment for age and BMI. A statistical model containing creatinine, leptin, insulin, and triglycerides accounted for 34% of the variance in serum uric acid levels in men, whereas another consisting of creatinine, triglycerides, leptin, SBP, and insulin explained 42% of the variance in serum uric acid in women. The present study suggests that leptin could be one of the possible candidates for the missing link between obesity and hyperuricemia. Our study may also suggest that hyperuricemia is not only a metabolic end product but also a marker of a major pressor or pathogenic mechanism underlying the hypertension in obesity. (Jpn Heart J 2003; 44: 527-536)

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Turkey, and to investigate their association with age, gender, and blood pressure. A crosssectional population-based study was performed. A total of 20,119 inhabitants (4975 women and 15,144 men, age > 20 years) from 11 Anatolian cities in four geographic regions were screened for body weight, height, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the years 1999 and 2000. The overall prevalence rate of overweight was 25.0% and of obesity was 19.4%. The prevalence of overweight among women was 24.3% and obesity 24.6%; 25.9% of men were overweight, and 14.4% were obese. Mean body mass index (BMI) of the studied population was 27.59 +/- 4.61 kg/m(2). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure for women were 131.0 +/- 41.0 and 80.2 +/- 16.3 mm Hg, and for men 135.0 +/- 27.3 and 83.2 +/- 16.0 mm Hg. There was a positive linear correlation between BMI and blood pressure, and between age and blood pressure in men and women. Obesity and overweight are highly prevalant in Turkey, and they constitute independent risk factors for hypertension.

In order to assess the clinical value of six tumour markers in pre-dialysis patients with chronic renal failure as well as in patients on regular haemodialysis, we studied these markers in 35 predialysis patients, 35 patients on chronic haemodialysis and 35 healthy controls. Serum squamous cell antigen (SCC), CA 19.9, and CA 125 levels were found to be elevated in the uraemic groups as compared to the normal controls. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha foetoprotein (AFP), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were within normal limits in all groups.

Patients with chronic renal failure on regular hemodialysis program show significant alterations at LV longitudinal myocardial function parameters assessed by color TDI.