Cardiac calcinosis is a common complication of end stage renal disease. A newly observed risk of thromboembolism is reported in four patients with mobile cardiac calcinosis, treated with long term dialysis. Rapidly growing mobile calcification was confirmed by echocardiography. Each patient had an imbalance in serum calcium × inorganic phosphate (Ca × P product > 50); this imbalance could not be treated due to the sudden death of the patient or the need for surgical resection to prevent recurrent cerebral thromboembolism. Histological examination revealed intracardiac calcinosis in three cases, and each case showed haemodialysis hypoparathyroidism (intact PTH < 160 pg/ml). Thromboembolism in such cases is rare, however it indicates a need for cautious echocardiographic monitoring in end stage renal disease in patients with an uncontrolled Ca × P product. (Heart 1999;82:638-640)

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A noninvasive method for the diagnosis of cardiac calcinosis, a life-threatening complication in hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), has not, as yet, been firmly established. We tested whether whole body scanning with 99m-technetium methylene diphosphonate (MDP) might visualize cardiac calcinosis. In 19 consecutive chronic hemodialysis ESRD patients (13 males and 6 females, aged 40–81, mean 63 ± 8 years) with cardiovascular disease [mitral annular calcinosis and/or calcified aortic valve (n = 4), hemodialysis cardiomyopathy (n = 1), coronary artery disease (n = 9) and peripheral artery atherosclerotic disease (n = 6)], MDP uptake in the heart was compared to that in 7 non-ESRD controls with hyperparathyroidism due to adenoma. Cardiac and lung field MDP uptake was confirmed in only 3 (16%) and 5 (26%) of the 19 ESRD subjects, respectively, but was absent in controls. Positive cardiac uptake was related to cardiac calcified complications (mobile intracardiac calcinosis, myocardial calcinosis and mitral annular calcification) and the duration of hemodialysis (p = 0.015). While it was statistically insignificant, subjects showing MDP uptake were elder and had higher serum Ca or Ca × P product and lower intact parathyroid hormone levels. These results suggest that cardiac calcinosis in ESRD patients can be detected noninvasively by myocardial scintigraphy with 99m-technetium MDP.

The present study aimed to elucidate the role of renal dopaminergic and prostaglandin (PG) systems in renal uric acid metabolism in essential hypertension. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), endogenous creatinine clearance (Ccr), serum uric acid (SUA), urinary excretions of uric acid (UUAV) and sodium (UNaV), fractional excretions of uric acid (FEUA) and sodium (FENa), plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) were measured before and after intravenous injection of a dopamine receptor antagonist, metoclopramide (MCP: 8 mg/m2.BSA), or before and after a single oral administration of prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, indomethacin (IM: 75 mg), in 34 mild-to-moderate essential hypertensives (EHT). MCP injection or acute oral administration of IM caused significant decreases of UNaV and FENa in each group, whereas MAP, HR and SUA did not change in either group. Significant decreases in Ccr, UUAV and FEUA and increases in PRA and PAC were demonstrated by MCP injection, while no significant changes in these parameters were revealed by IM administration. There was a significant positive correlation between delta UUAV and delta Ccr or delta FEUA in both groups. In addition, a close positive correlation between delta UUAV and delta UNaV as well as between delta FEUA and delta FENa was found in the MCP group, but not in the IM group. On the other hand, no significant correlation was observed between delta UUAV and delta PRA or delta PAC in either MCP or IM administration. The decreases of UUAV and FEUA were significantly greater in MCP than in IM administration, despite similar changes in Ccr, UNaV and FENa between the two procedures. These data suggest that the endogenous renal dopaminergic system may contribute to renal uric acid metabolism, which is rather closely related to sodium handling in essential hypertension than the prostaglandin system. Furthermore, the attenuated renal dopaminergic activity may contribute to the elevation of serum uric acid level in patients with essential hypertension.

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