Summary To investigate the association of chronic urticaria and autoimmune thyroid disease, a population of patients with thyroid autoimmunity as measured by thyroid autoantibody positivity was compared with a population of patients with thyroid disease without antibodies and an in‐patient control group for the incidence and prevalence of skin disorders in particular chronic urticaria and angioedema.

We followed the renal and hormonal effects of physiological intravenous infusions of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in 6 water-loaded patients with nephrotic syndrome and 7 healthy subjects. Two of the patients had impaired renal function, 3 had active sodium retention, and none took drugs. The ensuing natriuresis, increase in plasma and urinary cyclic guanosine monophosphate and suppression of the renin-aldosterone axis were similar in normals and nephrotics. In both groups, significant increases in filtration fraction (inulin/PAH clearance) were observed, and in the nephrotics, major increases also occured in both the absolute and fractional urinary albumin excretion. The renal and hormonal responses to ANF are not impaired in the nephrotic syndrome.

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We measured plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels in 17 patients with newly diagnosed thyrotoxicosis. ANP was elevated compared to a group of healthy controls and fell to normal after treatment. Plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate was also raised in untreated patients. Elevated circulating levels of ANP may play a part in the haemodynamic changes of hyperthyroidism.

Summary:The aim was to study the renal and hormonal effects of intravenous 99-126 atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) infusion in a mixed group of patients who had moderate to severe chronic renal failure (CRF) and who were not treated with dialysis. The peak mean plasma level ofANF achieved during the experiment was at the upper limit of an absolute range of basal values previously recorded in a larger group of patients with similar degrees of renal impairment. A significant tissue effect was confirmed by rises in plasma and urinary cyclic guanosine monophosphate, the 'second-messenger' of ANF. ANF infusion increased sodium excretion rate by a mean of 68% compared with a fall of 40% in a placebo group, and significant increases in urinary albumin excretion occurred during the peptide infusion. Thus, the high levels of plasma ANF found in CRF may have a role in the maintenance of sodium balance. In addition, the proteinuric effect may be detrimental to long-term renal function.