In the present study, we studied angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) and type 2 (AT2) receptor messengers by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. We examined peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 30 healthy subjects and 50 subjects with primary hypertension, in whom angiotensin I-converting enzyme genotype was determined, before and after 15 days of treatment with different antihypertensive drugs. The medication included a calcium channel antagonist, an angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor, and a beta 1-blocker. We also studied the relationship between AT1 receptor gene expression and biochemical parameters of the renin-angiotensin system. AT1 receptor messenger levels were positively correlated with plasma renin activity in both normotensive and untreated hypertensive subjects. Increases of this messenger and plasma angiotensin II levels were correlated with the D allele in the same individuals. AT1 receptor messenger levels decreased significantly with angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor treatment in subjects with the DD genotype, and a significant decrease was observed in subjects with the II and ID genotypes treated with a calcium antagonist. No changes were observed in mRNA with the beta 1-blocker. We conclude that the AT2 receptor is not expressed in peripheral leukocytes and that AT1 receptor messenger levels vary in relation to angiotensin I-converting enzyme genotype and pharmacological treatment. These results suggest that angiotensin I-converting enzyme genotype may be an important factor when deciding on antihypertensive therapy in individuals with primary hypertension.
The levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA have been directly quantitated, after an isolation step, in plasma from patients with primary HIV-1 infection by free solution capillary electrophoresis (FSCE) with ultraviolet detection. HIV-1 RNA was detected and quantified at physiological levels by measuring the absorbance by FSCE. All the patients with primary infection showed concentrations in a range of 1.08-1.71 x 10(8) virions/ml of plasma. No signals were observed in seronegative donors. This procedure represents a practical alternative to other methods to quantify HIV-1 RNA and may be useful in assessing the efficiency of antiretroviral agents, especially during the early stage when other conventional viral markers are often negative.
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