The aim of the study was to compare hypotensive effects of aliskiren and ramipril and their influence on serum potassium and inflammatory parameters in hypertensive peritoneal dialysis patients. Eighteen hypertensive patients on chronic peritoneal dialysis were enrolled in an open-label comparative fixed-order study. The

patients had been off RAAS blocking drugs for >= 4 weeks prior to an inclusion. At each of 3 study visits (baseline and after each of the treatment periods) blood pressure, BIBF-1120 serum lipids, potassium, renin, aldosterone, C-reactive protein (CRP) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured. After the baseline visit aliskiren was started (150 mg/d) and after 12 weeks replaced with ramipril (5 mg/d) for the next 12 weeks. Blood pressure was 142/88 +/- 15/11 mmHg at baseline, 137/84 +/- 10/8 mmHg after aliskiren (ns) and 126/81 +/- 11/7 mmHg after ramipril (p<0.05 vs baseline and aliskiren). No incidents of hyperkalemia were observed.

Plasma renin concentration increased significantly see more during aliskiren treatment compared to ramipril (227,6 +/- 844 vs 58,3 +/- 765 pg/mL). CRP was similar after both therapies (8,8 +/- 34 vs 8,4 +/- 32 mu g/mL) but MCP-1 concentration was significantly lower after aliskiren than after ramipril (294,0 +/- 172,6 vs 358,9 +/- 83,3 pg/mL). Aliskiren 150 mg/day decreases blood pressure less Sitaxentan effectively than ramipril 5 mg/day in peritoneal dialysis patients. It does not influence serum potassium. The decrease of MCP-1 concentration after aliskiren treatment may provide an indirect evidence for its blood pressure independent cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“This study was designed to explore whether the basal adrenocortical activity is related with pain-retated coping, nonverbal pain behavior, depressive mood, and fatigue in patients with acute and chronic nonspecific low back pain.

19 patients with acute low back pain (ALBP)

and 24 with chronic low back pain (CLBP) participated in the study. The adrenocortical activity was assessed through the cortisol awakening response. All participants provided five saliva samples (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after waking) on two consecutive days off work. Pain-related coping [fear-avoidance coping (FAC) and endurance coping (EC)], nonverbal pain behavior (NPB), depressive mood, and fatigue were assessed through questionnaires.

Among ALPB patients, EC was negatively associated with the cortisol release, whereas fatigue was positively associated with it. Among CLBP patients, FAC, NPB, depressive mood, and fatigue were negatively associated with the cortisol awakening response, whereas EC tended to be positively associated with it.