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Biomedical subjects

R A Dart

Publications and source records attributed to R A Dart.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

The long-term outcome of patients with IgA nephropathy treated with fish oil in a controlled trial. Mayo Nephrology Collaborative Group.

It was reported previously that dietary fish oil supplementation retarded the progression of renal disease in patients with IgA nephropathy in a multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized, 2-yr clinical trial. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term influence of fish oil treatment on renal progression in observations on the study cohort of 106 patients extending beyond the 2-yr trial. Renal function was assessed by serial serum creatinine and 24-h urine protein measurements. Vital, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and BP status and treatment beyond completion of the 2-yr trial were determined. As in the trial, the primary end point was an increase of 50% or more in the serum creatinine, and the secondary end point was ESRD. After a mean follow-up of 6.4 yr, 46 patients-17 in the fish oil group versus 29 in the placebo group-reached the primary end point (P = 0.002), and 27 patients-eight in the fish oil group versus 19 in the placebo group-developed ESRD (P = 0.009). At the end of the 2-yr trial, 75 patients (45 fish oil, 30 placebo) remained at risk for the primary end point. This is also when the double-blind part of the trial ended, allowing physicians to stop supplements, switch original placebo-assigned patients to fish oil, and continue fish oil in original fish oil-assigned patients. A significantly greater number of nonsupplemented placebo patients developed the primary end point (P = 0.02) and ESRD (P = 0.003) compared with long-term supplemented fish oil patients. Conversely, more fish oil-supplemented patients had stable renal function than nonsupplemented patients (P = 0.02). By intention, BP control, primarily treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition, was equal in the fish oil and placebo groups. Proteinuria was modestly reduced in both groups. It is concluded that early and prolonged treatment with fish oil slows renal progression for high-risk patients with IgA nephropathy.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗
PubMed1986

High molecular weight angiotensinogen: a pregnancy associated protein.

Although it was previously recognized that human amniotic fluid contained appreciable quantities of angiotensinogen, it remained unknown what fraction of the total is high molecular weight angiotensinogen. Fractionation of human amniotic fluid showed that high molecular weight angiotensinogen represents the major component of total angiotensinogen; 58% for 11 normotensive pregnant women and 67% for 12 hypertensive pregnant women. In contrast to plasma where high molecular weight angiotensinogen is elevated in hypertensive pregnant women as compared to normotensive pregnant women, no such difference exists for amniotic high molecular weight angiotensinogen. Serum and amniotic fluid high molecular weight angiotensinogen were compared in six subjects, and no significant correlation was found. In fetal cord blood, high molecular weight angiotensinogen represented only 5.8% of the total angiotensinogen. The site of synthesis of high molecular weight angiotensinogen remains unknown but these data suggest that it is produced in the placenta or in the maternal uterine tissue. Therefore, we propose that human high molecular weight angiotensinogen should be classified as a pregnancy-associated protein.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1979

Human plasma angiotensinogen: a review of purification procedures.

The current status of the purification and characterization of human angiotensinogen is reviewed. One problem encountered in the past has been the copurification of a protein with similar porperties. This protein has tentatively been designated alanine-protein. An efficient separation of angiotensinogen and alanine-protein was obtained on a zinc chelate column. Alanine-protein has been purified and its amino acid and carbohydrate composition determined. The COOH-terminal amino acid and the NH2-terminal amino acid were determined to be serine and alanine, respectively. Alanine-protein exhibited multiple forms on isoelectric focusing.

Amino Acids↗