Secondly, all Gram-positive bacteria, but none of the virus, indu

Secondly, all Gram-positive bacteria, but none of the virus, induced IL-12p40 responses,

but the IL-12p40 responses did not affect Th1 cytokine production (IFN-γ). Instead, Th1 responses were correlated with the capacity to induce IFN-α secretion, which in cord cells were induced by S. aureus and influenza virus alone. These data imply that enveloped virus can deviate Th2 responses in human cord T cells. Allergic diseases among children and youth are one of the most common PF-02341066 cost chronic diseases in the Western world and the prevalence has increased drastically during the last 40 years [1]. The hygiene hypothesis states that a reduced exposure to microbes increases the risk of developing allergies. This hypothesis was originally based on observations showing that children with many siblings, children

attending early day care or children growing up in poverty are less prone to develop allergies [2]. It is, however, not yet clear which microbes that can and cannot affect allergy development. Epidemiological studies show that certain viral and bacterial infections correlate with a reduced incidence of allergic manifestations. HDAC inhibitor We have recently shown that infection with human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6) is associated with reduced allergic sensitization in 18-month-old children [3]. We have confirmed this in an experimental animal model of allergic asthma, where mice that are exposed to HHV-6 are protected against allergic inflammation. Mice exposed to HHV-6 have significantly lower levels of allergen-specific IgE, eosinophils and Th2 cytokines as compared to allergic control mice [4]. In addition, previous infection with EBV [5, 6] and Hepatitis A virus [7, 8] has been associated with a reduced incidence of allergic sensitization and allergic symptoms in human subjects. Infection with orofecal and foodborne

bacteria, including Toxoplasma gondii and Helicobacter pylori, or exposure to bacterial components, such as endotoxin, have also been demonstrated during to be inversely related to atopic allergy [8–11]. Furthermore, the composition of the intestinal commensal flora has been suggested to affect the risk of developing allergic disease, where early colonization with bifidobacteria and lactobacilli is associated with a lower prevalence of allergy in young children (0–2 years of age) [12–14]. The allergic response is driven by Th2 cells, and their secretion of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13. The initiation of the T cell response and the subsequent maturation of the T cells, including their differentiation into Th1 or Th2 cells, are regulated by dendritic cells (DC) [15]. These cells are generally divided into two major subsets; myeloid CD11c+CD123− DC (mDC) and plasmacytoid CD11c−CD123+ DC (pDC). MDC are the main source of IL-12, which is pivotal in the differentiation of naïve CD4+ T cells into the favoured Th1 phenotype [16–18].

Importantly, mcDC, and to a lesser degree pDC, produced the proin

Importantly, mcDC, and to a lesser degree pDC, produced the proinflammatory type I IFN upon uptake of apoptotic cells (Fig. 2d). Together these data show that FLT3L treatment induces the proliferation but not the functional profile of specific DC subsets.

To study T cell priming to cell-associated antigens in vitro we used a culturing system where DC were cultured with irradiated ActmOVA cells that lacked MHC-I/II before CFSE-labelled OVA-specific OT-1 (CD8+) and OT-2 (CD4+) T cells were added [12]. Bulk DC from find more FLT3L-treated mice induced more proliferation in both OT-1 and OT-2 T cells than bulk DC from PBS-treated mice (Fig. 2e), showing that the increased T cell activation in vivo (Fig. 1a and b) could be recapitulated in vitro. The increased activation of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells primed by FLT3L-DC was also measurable by elevated levels of the cytokines IFN-γ and IL-2 (CD4+ T cells) and IFN-γ and TNF-α (CD8+ T cells) (data not shown). To determine whether the

increased T cell activation in FLT3L-DC resulted from the altered composition of the DC population or rather from altered functionality of one or more specific DC populations, we repeated the experiment with purified DC populations. CD11b DCs induced poor OT-1 Erlotinib in vitro T cell proliferation and intermediate OT-2 T cell proliferation (Fig. 2f and g). In contrast, CD8 DCs from both treatment groups induced good proliferation of CD8+ L-gulonolactone oxidase OT-1 T cells, but poor proliferation in OT-2 cells. mcDC potently induced both OT-1 and OT-2 responses, while pDC failed to induce significant T cell responses (Fig. 2f and g). Cytokine analysis of the primed OT-1 and OT-2 T cells showed similar results (data not shown). Importantly, we could not detect significant differences between DC

populations that were isolated from PBS- and FLT3L-treated mice. This finding again shows that DC functions were not altered upon FLT3L treatment and indicates that the increased T cell priming observed upon FLT3L treatment results from changes in the composition of the DC population. To determine the effect of FLT3L treatment in the capacity of DC to prime endogenous CD8+ T cell responses in vivo, DC subpopulations (purified from PBS- and FLT3L-treated mice) were incubated with irradiated ActmOVA-Kbm1T cells, repurified and transferred i.v. into naive mice. Seven days later the frequency of endogenous OVA257–264-specific CD8+ T cells was determined by intracellular IFN-γ staining. pDCs failed to induce OVA257–264-specific CD8+ T cell responses and CD11b DC-treated mice showed poor induction of OVA257–264-specific responses, and FLT3L treatment did not change this phenotype (Fig. 3a and b). In contrast, priming by CD8 DCs was robust, and mcDC showed superior priming of endogenous OVA257–264-specific CD8+ T cells.

For flow cytometry, the following antibodies were used: rat anti-

For flow cytometry, the following antibodies were used: rat anti-EpCAM Alexa647 (Biolegend, San Diego, CA, USA), rat anti-CD45 PerCP-Cy5, rat anti-CD3

Alexa700 (both Ebioscience), rat anti-CD4 allophycocyanin-Cy7, rat anti-CD8a PE-Cy7, rat anti-CD44 FITC, rat anti-CD25 allophycocyanin (all from BD). Immunohistochemistry was performed as described previously [42]. To maintain the EGFP and EYFP signals, tissues were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and submerged in a sucrose gradient prior to freezing. Sections were made on a Cryostat Jung CM3050. Pictures were made by a Leica DMRXA microscope this website and Leica FW4000 software. Flow cytometric analysis was performed on a LSRII Flow Cytometer (BD) and analyzed using FlowJo Selleckchem Fulvestrant software (Tree Star Inc., Ashland, OR, USA). Cell isolations were performed on a FACSAria

Cell sorter (BD). mRNA was isolated with an RNA easy kit (Qiagen) and reverse transcription was done with random hexamer primers. An F-415L DyNAmo Flash SYBR Green qPCR kit (Finnzymes) and 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR system (Applied Biosystems) were used for qPCR. Lgr5 (FW5′-TCCAGGCTTTTCAGAAGTTTA-3′, REV: 5′-GGGGAATTCATCAAGGTT A-3′) Cyclo (FW: 5′-AACCCCACCGTGTTCT-3′, REV: 5′-CATTATGGCGTGTAA AGTCA-3′). Thymocytes were obtained by grinding thymic fragments trough a 100 μm filter (BD).

The collected cells Thymidylate synthase were washed and subsequently stained for flow cytometry. 4-hydroxytamoxifen (Sigma) was dissolved in one part 99% ethanol and nine parts sunflower oil at 55°C in a stock concentration of 20 mg/mL. At 10.5 dpc, pregnant females were i.p. injected with 0.1 mg/g 4OH-hydroxytamoxifen to induce creERT2 recombination. Subsequently, the pregnant mice were sacrificed at the day of analysis and fetal thymi were isolated from the embryos. Statistical significance was determined by a Student’s t-test with two tailed distribution. We thank N. Barker and H. Clevers for providing the Lgr5-EGFP-ires-CreERT2 mice and I. Touw for providing the Rosa26:YFP mice. This work was financially supported by the Wijnand M. Pon stichting. The authors declare no financial or commercial conflict of interest. “
“Cell migration is a response highly conserved in evolution.

Cultures were maintained

for 3 days at 37°C in a 5% CO2 a

Cultures were maintained

for 3 days at 37°C in a 5% CO2 atmosphere. B cell purity, apoptosis, proliferation and surface marker expression were analysed by flow cytometry using an Epics FC500 flow cytometer and the CXP software (Beckman Coulter). Cell purity was assessed using the following monoclonal antibody combinations: anti-CD45 fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), anti-CD19 phycoerythrin cyanin 5 (PCy5) (both from Coulter Immunotech) and anti-CD3 phycoerythrin (PE) (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) for purified B cells and anti-CD19 PCy7 plus anti-CD27 PCy5 (both from Coulter Immunotech) for sorted CD27– and CD27+ B cells. Purity was always superior to 95%. Annexin V and propidium iodide staining protocol (Becton Dickinson) was performed to evaluate apoptosis of CSFE-free purified (Fig. 1a) and sorted CD27– and CD27+ B cells (Fig. 1b,c),

following see more the manufacturer’s instructions. Briefly, 1 × 105 cultured CFSE-free cells were harvested, stained with anti-CD19 PCy7 and anti-CD27 PCy5, washed with cold phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), resuspended in 100 μl binding buffer and stained with 5 μl of a 1·2 μg/ml solution of annexin V-FITC and 5 μl of a 50 μg/ml solution of propidium iodide. Cells were incubated for 15 min at RT (25°C) in the dark, resuspended Selleck Ceritinib in 400 μl of binding buffer and analysed. Propidium iodide positivity was used to exclude necrotic CD19+ cells and percentage of apoptotic cells (annexin V-FITC-positive) was calculated from the resulting population. Rescue from apoptosis was expressed as [(% baseline apoptosis − % post-stimulation apoptosis)/% baseline apoptosis] × 100, to indicate the decrease in apoptosis induced by each stimulus related to baseline apoptosis. A CFSE dilution protocol was used to evaluate the proliferation of CFSE-labelled cultured purified B cells. Proliferation index was calculated on CD19+CD27– or CD19+CD27+ stained B cells attending to the number of divisions and the percentages

of cells in each round of division, as described previously by Quah et al. [30]. TRAIL expression Teicoplanin was evaluated in whole blood samples stained with anti-CD19 energy-coupled dye (ECD), anti-CD27 PCy7 (both from Coulter Immunotech) and anti-TRAIL-PE (Becton Dickinson)-conjugated monoclonal antibodies. TRAIL median fluorescence intensity (MFI) was measured in previously gated CD19+CD27– and CD19+CD27+ B cells. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism version 4·0 software (San Diego, CA, USA). Data are expressed as median and 25th and 75th percentiles. The Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare differences between B cells subpopulations. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare differences between CVID patients groups and controls.

8%, 35 0% and 83 3%, respectively In conclusion, chest CT plays

8%, 35.0% and 83.3%, respectively. In conclusion, chest CT plays an important role in the evaluation of haematological patients with febrile neutropenia and often leads to a change in antimicrobial therapy. Pulmonary nodules are the most common radiological abnormality. Sinus

or lung biopsies have a high-diagnostic yield for IFI as compared to bronchoscopy. Patients with IFI may not have sinus/chest symptoms, and thus, clinicians should have a low threshold for performing sinus/chest imaging, and if indicated and safe, a biopsy of the abnormal areas. “
“Summary  Zygomycosis, or mucormycosis, is associated with significant morbidity CT99021 and mortality in both children and adults. Studies in adults have shown an increase in the incidence of zygomycosis, particularly among haemtopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients and patients ABT737 with haematologic malignancies. There is a paucity of data on the epidemiology of zygomycosis in children. We performed a retrospective analysis to describe

trends in zygomycosis between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2010. We used the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database to identify paediatric patients who were diagnosed with zygomycosis during the study period. Administrative data on diagnoses, demographics, underlying conditions and clinical experiences were collected. Summary statistics were calculated and tests for trend all were conducted. We identified 156 unique patients with zygomycosis. The prevalence of zygomycosis did not significantly increase over time (P = 0.284). The most common underlying condition was malignancy (58%) and

over half received intensive care. Voriconazole utilisation among all hospitalised children significantly increased during the period (P = 0.010). Our study demonstrates that the incidence of zygomycosis is not significantly increasing. During the time period there was a significant increase in the use of voriconazole among children. “
“Invasive Candida infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised and hospitalised patients. This article provides the joint recommendations of the German-speaking Mycological Society (Deutschsprachige Mykologische Gesellschaft, DMyKG) and the Paul-Ehrlich-Society for Chemotherapy (PEG) for diagnosis and treatment of invasive and superficial Candida infections. The recommendations are based on published results of clinical trials, case-series and expert opinion using the evidence criteria set forth by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Key recommendations are summarised here: The cornerstone of diagnosis remains the detection of the organism by culture with identification of the isolate at the species level; in vitro susceptibility testing is mandatory for invasive isolates.

3 The neutralization of IL-17A correlates with

3 The neutralization of IL-17A correlates with JNK inhibitor in vitro protection from EAE3 and IL-17-deficient mice are resistant to both EAE13 and CIA.14 While the IL-23/Th17 axis is important in experimental autoimmune pathology, it is believed to have evolved to provide protective adaptive immunity to specific classes of extracellular pathogens including infections of bacterial Klebsiella pneumonia,15Streptococcus pneumonia16 and Citrobacter rodentium17

as well as fungal Cryptococcus neoformans18 and Candida albicans.19 Murine Th17 cells do not express Th1 (T-bet) and Th2 (GATA-3) transcription factors but instead require the orphan retinoid nuclear receptor (ROR)γt for their differentiation.20 Another related nuclear receptor, RORα is believed to act synergistically with RORγt to induce complete Th17 differentiation.21 Lineage commitment of Th17 cells from naive T cells is induced by the combination of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and IL-6 cytokines,22 while IL-2317 and IL-123 play an important role in its survival and expansion. Recent studies have shown Angiogenesis inhibitor that these Th17 cells also provide an autocrine signal via the secretion of IL-21, which is important for Th17 differentiation.24,25 The identification of TGF-β as a component of Th17 inducers reciprocally linked Th17 cells with immunosuppressive

T regulatory (Treg) cells; whereby the additional presence of IL-6 enhanced Th17 development and its absence led to diminished Th17 responses and a peripheral repertoire dominated by Treg cells.25 Th17 differentiated cells produce IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, TNF, IL-6 and IL-9.3,26–28 In humans, IL-17A-producing Th memory cells have been identified and characterized. These cells express the human orthologue of mouse RORγt, and like mouse Th17 cells are responsive to IL-2329 and their differentiation is dependent on TGF-β and IL-21.30 Interleukin-17A and IL-17F belong to the family of IL-17 cytokines Selleckchem Idelalisib and can both bind to the IL-17RA receptor,31 which has a broad tissue distribution.32 Both IL-17A and IL-17F are pleiotropic pro-inflammatory mediators that can induce various pro-inflammatory

cytokines/chemokines including: CXCL8, IL-6, CCL2, TNF-α, IL-1β, G-CSF and GM-CSF.33 IL-17A and IL-17F are also implicated in the upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1, which mediates the chemotaxis of neutrophils to sites of infection.34 IL-17A-producing cells are present in diseased kidneys, where IL-17A acts synergistically with CD40L, a protein expressed on activated T cells, to induce primary human renal epithelial cells to secrete higher levels of IL-6, IL-8 and monocyte chemotactic peptide-1 as well as complement component C3.35,36 It is now known that IL-17A and IL-17F are chiefly produced by activated and memory CD4+ Th cells37 but its production has also been demonstrated by γδ T cells,38 CD8+ memory T cells,39 eosinophils,40 neutrophils41 and monocytes.

A new experimental approach to address whether TLR agonists can s

A new experimental approach to address whether TLR agonists can stimulate HSPCs in vivo has been recently used. Purified Lin− or LKS+ cells from the BM of B6Ly5.1 mice (CD45.1+) were transplanted

into TLR2−/−, TLR4−/−, or MyD88−/− mice (CD45.2+), which were then injected with pure ligands for TLR2, TLR4, or TLR9 (Pam3CSK4, LPS, and CpG ODN, respectively). Recipient mouse cells Idasanutlin are not capable of recognizing or responding to the injected TLR ligands; therefore, any responses observed in the transplanted cells must be due to direct recognition of the agonists by TLRs expressed by the donor HSPCs. Transplanted HSPCs were detected in the BM and spleen of recipient mice and, in response to TLR ligand injection, these cells differentiated preferentially into macrophages, demonstrating unequivocally that HSPCs can respond directly to TLR agonists in vivo, and that the engagement of these receptors induces macrophage differentiation [21] (Fig. 2). A similar in vivo transplantation approach was used to Bortezomib molecular weight study the effect of C. albicans infection on HSPCs [20]. Transplanted Lin− cells were detected in the spleen and BM of recipient mice,

and they differentiated preferentially to macrophages in response to both live and inactivated yeast. Macrophage generation was dependent on TLR2, but independent of TLR4 (Fig. 2). These results indicate that TLR2-mediated recognition of C. albicans by HSPCs helps to replace and/or to increase cells that constitute the first line of defense against the fungus, and suggest that TLR2-mediated signaling leads to programming of early progenitors to rapidly replenish the innate immune system and generate the mature cells most urgently needed to deal with the pathogen. Direct microbial detection by HSPCs, of course, requires colocalization. HSPCs can be found

as resident or migratory populations in uninfected and infected tissues [45, 46], where microbes could induce them to differentiate by extramedullary hematopoiesis. PRKD3 HSPCs located in infected tissues are more likely to have an opportunity to directly detect microbial components than the majority of HSPCs, which reside in the BM. However, HSPCs in the heavily vascularized BM may also be exposed to circulating microbial components, or even to intact microbes following BM invasion during systemic infection. We have previously detected fungal cells in the BM of mice with invasive candidiasis, albeit at lower numbers than in peripheral tissues, but theoretically at sufficient levels to induce measurable activation of HSPCs [26, 42]. The concept of microbial components directly stimulating HSPCs to trigger the rapid generation of myeloid cells to boost the immune response against the infection is certainly attractive.

Conversely, urolithiasis was related to lack of IVC reflux in fem

Conversely, urolithiasis was related to lack of IVC reflux in females. Conclusions: IVC reflux may be positively or negatively related to the occurrence of some urological diseases. Pelvic congestion secondary to IVC reflux may be one of the factors contributing to chronic prostatitis and stress incontinence. “
“After suffering

a brainstem stroke, a 62-year-old man developed locked-in syndrome including loss of horizontal eye movement and increased anal tone. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the patient revealed a massive stroke in the pons and right cerebellum, which seemed to involve the pontine micturition/defecation center (Barrington’s nucleus) and the rostral pontine reticular formation (RPRF). As his increased anal find more tone was intractable Bortezomib in vitro to medical treatment, he required intermittent catheterization with an anal bougie tube. In light of the reported cases, our patient developed increased anal tone presumably due to pontine defecation center and RPRF lesion. “
“Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of onabotulinumtoxinA injection for refractory non-neurogenic overactive bladder (OAB) for 12 months. Methods: For patients with persistent urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) more than once a week despite taking anti-cholinergic agents

or incapability to continue the agents because of adverse effects, 100 units of onabotulinumtoxinA was injected at 30 sites in the sub-epithelial bladder wall. Efficacy was assessed every month up to 12 months after injection, using a three-day frequency-volume chart (FVC) and postvoid residual urine (PVR), three heptaminol questionnaires, and a simple score of Global Response Assessment (GRA). Failure was defined as when GRA was negative and additional treatment was administered. Results: Nine men and eight women aged 67 ± 12 years were included. On FVC, frequencies of urgency, UUI and daytime urination significantly decreased up to the 11th month. PVR significantly increased at the first and second months but no patient required catheterization. The total scores of Overactive Bladder Symptom Score and International Consultation on

Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form were significantly decreased for 10 and eight months, respectively. The score of GRA was significantly improved for eight months. The median time to failure was 11.0 months. Conclusion: This study suggests that onabotulinumtoxinA submucosal injection is promising for refractory non-neurogenic OAB. It is anticipated that the treatment is effective for eight to nine months and approximately 40% of the patients do not require anticholinergics at the 12th month postoperatively. “
“Objectives: This study was undertaken to investigate the influence of the urethral function on bladder shape and function in myelodysplastic children. Methods: Of 39 myelodysplastic children, 30 were treated with intermittent catheterization.

Infants who engaged in more shared focus and turn taking looked m

Infants who engaged in more shared focus and turn taking looked more to the program than infants who interacted less with their caregivers. These results are discussed in terms of social mediation of coviewing during early infancy. “
“To examine key parameters of

the initial conditions in early category learning, two studies compared 5-month-olds’ object categorization between tasks involving previously unseen novel objects, and between measures within tasks. Infants in Experiment 1 participated in a visual familiarization–novelty preference (VFNP) task with two-dimensional (2D) stimulus images. Infants provided no evidence of categorization by click here either their looking or their examining even though infants in previous research systematically categorized the same objects by examining when they could handle them directly. Infants in Experiment 2 participated in a VFNP task with 3D stimulus objects that allowed visual examination of objects’ 3D instantiation while denying manual contact with the objects. Under these conditions, infants demonstrated categorization by

examining but not by looking. Focused examination appears to be a key component of young infants’ ability to form category representations of novel objects, and 3D instantiation appears to better engage such examining. “
“This study examines the relationship between various basic mental processing abilities in infancy. Two groups of 7-month-olds received the same PD-1/PD-L1 assay delayed-response task to assess visuo-spatial working memory, but two different habituation–dishabituation tasks to assess processing speed and recognition memory. The single-stimulus group (N = 32) was familiarized with only one abstract stimulus, whereas the categorization group (N = 32) received varying exemplars of the Unoprostone same kind. In the categorization group, infants high on working memory showed stronger habituation and dishabituation responses than infants scoring low in working memory. No corresponding relations were found for

the single-stimulus group. This suggests that working memory performance is systematically linked to other basic mental skills in 7-month-olds, but that corresponding relations may not get evident in any kind of habituation–dishabituation procedure. Implications for understanding the complex interplay of basic mental abilities in infancy will be discussed. “
“Adults’ processing of own-race faces differs from that of other-race faces. The presence of an “other-race” feature (ORF) has been proposed as a mechanism underlying this specialization. We examined whether this mechanism, which was previously identified in adults and in 9-month-olds, is evident at 3.5 months. Caucasian 3.

Any obtained difference between stimulated and basal GFR was cons

Any obtained difference between stimulated and basal GFR was considered as RR and expressed as percentage. Results  The mean renal reserve was 23.4% in the healthy control group, 19.08% in CKD stage 1, 15.4% in CKD stage 2, 8.9% in CKD stage 3 and 6.7% in CKD stage 4, respectively. Conclusion:  Renal reserve falls relentlessly with progression of PI3K Inhibitor Library research buy CKD from 23.4% in normal

to 6.7% in stage 4 CKD. However, RR may also get completely exhausted even with a normal or with a minimal decline basal GFR. Kidneys may retain some RR even up to the GFR level of 15 mL/min. “
“Aim:  Elevated serum uric level has been suggested as a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The relationship between serum uric acid level, and CKD in a Southeast Asian population was examined. Methods: 

In a cross-sectional study, authors surveyed 5618 subjects, but 5546 participants were included. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) values were calculated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. CKD was defined as a GFR of less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to determine the association Hydroxychloroquine between serum uric acid level and CKD. Results:  The prevalence of CKD in serum uric acid quartiles: first quartile, 5.3 mg/dL or less; second quartile, 5.4–6.4 mg/dL; third quartile, 6.5–7.6 mg/dL; and fourth quartile, 7.7 mg/dL or more were 1.8%, 3.6%, 5.5% and 11.9%, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean values of estimated GFR in participants with CKD and without CKD were 53.44 ± 7.72 and 81.26 ± 12.48 mL/min per 1.73 m2 respectively. In the entire participants, there were 6.76% with hypertension and 2.64% with diabetes as a comorbid disease. Compared with serum uric acid first quartile, the multivariate-adjusted

odds for CKD of the fourth, third and RG7420 purchase second quartile were 10.94 (95% confidence interval (CI), 6.62–16.08), 4.17 (95% CI, 2.51–6.92) and 2.38 (95% CI, 1.43–3.95), respectively. Conclusion:  High serum uric acid level was independently associated with increased prevalence of CKD in the Southeast Asian population. Detection and treatment of hyperuricaemia should be attended as a strategy to prevent CKD. “
“Date written: February 2009 Final submission: August 2009 a.  At 5 years (median 34 months), correction of renal artery stenosis (RAS), by balloon angioplasty with or without stenting (no distal protection) has no beneficial effect on blood pressure (BP) compared with medical therapy and is associated with an adverse event rate of 10–25%.