These data indicated that administration of Vitamin D receptor activator in combination with RAAS inhibitors had an additional benefit in lowering albuminuria in patients with DN. More pronounced reduction of urinary albumin:Cr ratio that was positively correlated with angiotensinogen:Cr ratio in calcitriol group suggested that Vitamin D receptor activation might blunt albuminuria by reducing urinary angiotensinogen levels reflecting intra-renal RAAS status.

Brucellosis continues to be an important cause of fever in underdeveloped countries and in rural areas of developed world. It is a multisystemic disease, associated with wide variety of symptoms. A wide variety of symptoms, including haematological abnormalities, such as anaemia, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, dissemine intravascular coagulation and leucopoenia could be seen, all of which are more common than usually thought. In this short study, we present a relatively uncommon haematological manifestation that of isolated thrombocytopenia mimicking idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, which we observed in seven of 114 patients who were diagnosed with brucellosis in our hospital over a 2-year period. Having given brucellosis treatment with rifampicin and doxycycline, complete remission was achieved and thrombocyte count returned to normal in all cases.

Henoch-Shönlein purpura (HSP) is a form of systemic vasculitis involving

We conclude that atherosclerotic changes are more common in HD patients than in controls, and that inflammatory processes may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Although the plasma levels of PAI-1 significantly reduced after treatment in both groups, the reduction of PAI-1 levels was more pronounced in group 2. These data indicated that administration of aldosterone antagonists in combination with ACEI had additional benefit on fibrinolysis in chronic hypertensive patients.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototype autoimmune disorder, one that is known for its many, diverse modes of presentation. In this paper, we present a further unusual presentation of SLE, that of acute onset, severe heart failure secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy. Only a few similar cases have been reported in the literature.

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