Lege Artis Medicinae


KISS Róbert Gábor1, BÉRES Bernát János2

JULY 14, 2007

Lege Artis Medicinae - 2007;17(06-07)

[Nitric oxide is a key molecule of the human body. Since its discovery, a library of books and papers have been published on its physiological and pathophysiological role. It is involved in almost all pathological processes. In healthy individuals nitric oxide plays a crucial role in the vascular regulation by protecting against atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and stroke. In the central nervous system, nitric oxide in its function as a neurotransmitter is responsible for synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation, memory and a number of neuroendocrine control mechanisms. Furthermore, during inflammation and host defense, macrophages and neutrophils produce nitric oxide that has antibacterial, antiviral, and tumour cell killing activity. In pathologic conditions, however, nitric oxide reacts with superoxide anion to form peroxynitrite that damages the enzymes of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, superoxide-dismutase, reduced glutathion and activates or inactivates signalling molecules. During ischaemia- reperfusion, nitric oxide and peroxynitrite contribute to nitrative/nitrosative stress, DNAfragmentation and consequent polyADP-ribosepolymerase- 1 enzyme activation both in coronary thrombosis and ischaemic stroke.]


  1. Országos Gyógyintézeti Központ, Kardiológiai és Belgyógyászati Osztály
  2. Tudományos Akadémia-Semmelweis Egyetem, Gyulladásbiológiai és Immungenomikai Kutatócsoport



Further articles in this publication

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[Heart failure has a poor prognosis despite the advances in pharmacological treatment. The utilization of non-pharmacological treatment with appropriate indications significantly improves the quality of life and life expectancy of these patients. Cardiac resynchronization therapy with biventricular pacemaker has a clinically proven efficacy in the treatment of heart failure associated with intraventricular dyssynchrony. Implantable cardioverter- defibrillators decrease the mortality from sudden cardiac death. Heart transplantation is needed in cases refractory to therapy. There are several other non-pharmacological treatment approaches, including mechanical circulatory assist devices, total artificial heart and ultrafiltration, whose routine application is not recommended due to limited clinical experience, but the initial results are promising.]

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[Coalition pathology]


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[Diuretics are an integral part of the management of chronic heart failure. Although there are no large, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicentric studies available to show that loop- and thiazid diuretics improve survival, the efficacy of these drugs in relieving heart failure symptoms and fluid retention is indisputable. The third class of diuretics used in heart failure is aldosterone antagonists, whose beneficial effects on mortality and morbidity were demonstrated in the RALES and EPHESUS trials. In this paper, the effects and side effects of the various diuretics, as well as the indications and recommendations on their use are reviewed. New options in diuretic treatment, including adenosine receptor blockers, vasopressin antagonists, atrial natriuretic peptide analogues and ultrafiltration are also presented.]

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[Clinical consensus conference on COPD]


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Clinical Neuroscience


LI Hua, KÉRI Szabolcs


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[The author presents a review about the fundamental principles of normal endothelial function and the main causes for the development of endothelial dysfunction. First of all, endothelial dysfunction results in structural alterations in the wall of the vessel - the „vascular remodelling” in hypertension - and that is the base of hypertensive microangiopathy and target organ damage. In patients with high blood pressure the reactivity of vessels is impaired by the endothelial dysfunction. The members of the main drug groups can influence the vasoactive factors produced in endothelium differently. This different effects of drugs create different clinical benefits. Especially, the ACE inhibitors, the calcium antagonists (mostly the new generation of dihydropyridines) have endothelial protective effects, but some β-blockers, α-1 adrenergic blockers and - in a totally different way of action - the statins are capable of influencing the endothelial dysfunction.]

Hypertension and nephrology

[Role of activated cells and local inflammatory mechanisms in the development of hypertension]


[In the past decades an increasing attention has been paid regarding the possible role of the immune system in the development of hypertension. In vitro and in vivo animal experiments, as well as human studies provided evidence for the role of the innate and adaptive immune systems in the development of hypertension, especially in connection with the perivascular adipose tissue, heart and kidney. Inflammatory mediators, cytokines, reactive oxygen metabolites have not only local pro-hypertensive effecting the vasculature, but also influence the development of hypertension through other regulatory mechanisms, such as the central nervous system. These findings provide a new understanding of the development of hypertension, as well as offer new potential mechanisms that can be targeted with novel the - rapies.]

Clinical Neuroscience

Inflammatory biomarkers in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A Turkey case-control study


Objective - Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of recurrent vertigo. Inflammation is a hypothetic etiological factor in BPPV. The aim of this study was to evaluate inflammatory biomarker levels in BPPV patients and compare these with the healthy subjects. Materials and methods - This prospective case-control study was conducted with 114 newly diagnosed BPPV patients and age- and sex- matched 83 healthy subjects. The laboratory investigations included serum hemogram, full biochemistry profiles, vitamin levels, thyroid hormone profiles, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte to HDL-cholesterol ratio (MHR) values were calculated and compared between the patients and healthy subjects. Results - The mean age was 39.1 ± 12.4 years for patients, and 37.0 ± 11.9 for controls. Vitamin B12, hematocrit (Hct), creatinine, urea, and fT4 values, lymphocyte, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin levels were significantly lower in BPPV patients (p ˂ 0.05), while HDL, SGOT, and ESR values were significantly higher. In the BPPV patients the mean NLR, PLR, and mean platelet volume (MPV) values were significantly higher than in the control subjects. Neutrophil, platelet, monocyte, MHR, and CRP values were similar in both groups (p ˃ 0.05). Conclusion - Our result suggests that NLR, PLR, MPV, ESR, and bilirubin levels should be taken into account as potential biomarkers of BPPV. As they are inexpensive parameters and widely available, they can be used in clinical practice for prediction of BPPV. However, further large-scale studies are required to confirm this relationship.

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[The role of vascular wall inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is becoming increasingly clear. However, the causal relationship between the inflammation and the course of atherosclerosis, which begins in childhood and continues for life, is debated in the literature. The interpretation of the basic pathophysiologial essence of inflammation is also controversial. This paper summarizes the basics and various features of inflammation, the body's defensive and aversive reaction. The “acute phase reaction syndrome” is a general, immediate, non-specific defense reaction of the organism, which is strongly associated with the specific, adaptive immune response. There are inflammatory processes that are chronic from the start. When looking at the main types and functions of the arterial wall proteoglycans, it is clear that they, along with the lipoprotein receptors and HDL cholesterol, are closely connected to the process, course and characteristics of the inflammation. The arterial wall proteoglycans are definitely capable of directly and indirectly influencing the inflammatory process. The issue of a possible target of statin derivatives other than the inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis has not been resolved. Atherosclerosis may be considered a primarily chronic individual vasculitis syndrome that involves all layers of the blood vessels, and is determined by the risk factors and by the special structure of the arterial wall. The presence of inflammation is a prerequisite to the development and throughout the entire course of atherosclerosis.]