[Affective temperaments (cyclothymic, hypertymic, depressive, anxious, irritable) are stable parts of personality and after adolescent only their minor changes are detectable. Their connections with psychopathology is well-described; depressive temperament plays role in major depression, cyclothymic temperament in bipolar II disorder, while hyperthymic temperament in bipolar I disorder. Moreover, scientific data of the last decade suggest, that affective temperaments are also associated with somatic diseases. Cyclothymic temperament is supposed to have the closest connection with hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension is higher parallel with the presence of dominant cyclothymic affective temperament and in this condition the frequency of cardiovascular complications in hypertensive patients was also described to be higher. In chronic hypertensive patients cyclothymic temperament score is positively associated with systolic blood pressure and in women with the earlier development of hypertension. The background of these associations is probably based on the more prevalent presence of common risk factors (smoking, obesity, alcoholism) with more pronounced cyclothymic temperament. The scientific importance of the research of the associations of personality traits including affective temperaments with somatic disorders can help in the identification of higher risk patient subgroups.]

[INTRODUCTION - Stenosis, occlusion and necrosis of the ureter after kidney transplantation occur in 2-13%. The therapeutic choices are surgery or minimally invasive endourological and percutaneous procedures. We analysed our therapeutic plan and results using percutaneous dilatation and stenting. PATIENTS AND METHODS - The patients after kidney transplantation are regularly examined by ultrasound. In cases of suspected obstruction we perform scintigraphy and CT-urography, and if indicated, we place percutaneous nephrostomy. Between July of 2000 and September of 2002, 15 stenosis in 14 patients were dilated and stented percutaneously. RESULTS - We found one restenosis after 6 months due to compression. This patient underwent surgery, but after the operation another stenosis has developed. We treated it percutaneously. One nephrectomy had to be performed due to serious infection. In one patient stent migration occured and surgical intervention was performed. 12 patients have free urine passage and good kidney function as a result of percutaneous therapy. CONCLUSION - We have good results with percutaneous ureter dilatation and stenting, but our follow-up time (31 months) must be longer for the evaluation of long-term results. The percutaneous treatment can partly replace endourological and surgical methods or can be combined with each other.]

[Hypertension and dementia are frequent disorders or rather syndromes. Their incidence is growing with advancing age and hypertension is increasing the risk of cognitive impairment too, while treating hypertension (i.e. the use of antihypertensive medications) is decreasing it. In addition, hypertension is the most important risk factor for stroke. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has a special role in the development of hypertension and also involved in the pathogenesis of the most frequent dementia form, namely Alzheimer’s disease. The effect of angiotensin convertase inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) is based on the inhibition of the RAS, but the ARBs do not inhibit angiotensin formation, just blocking its harmful effects on the AT1 receptor, while allowing the activation of AT2 receptors with pleiotropic effects. Preclinical, epidemiological and clinical therapeutic studies suggest this additional effect of ARBs and these are summarized in this review.]

[Placental growth factor (PlGF) is a member of the proangiogenic VEGF-family; it is mainly produced by throphoblast cells. During the last years numerous studies have shown that circulating PlGF-level in maternal plasma is decreased and its suluble receptor sFlt-1 shows increased expression. In the present study we examined the prognostic accuracy of Alere Triage® PlGF-Assay in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and its relation with the length of pregnancy. 130 pregnant women were involved in this case-control study (PE: 23, HELLP-syndrome: 20, superimposed praeeclampsia: 17, chronic hypertension: 25, gestational hypertension: 18 and normal control: 27). Blood draw occured between the 22nd and 34th gestational week. PlGF levels were measured by the Alere Triage® PlGF Assay using samples from the maternal plasma. The plasma PlGF-levels of women whose pregnancies were complicated by hypertensive disorders were significantnormotoly lower compared to those who had uncomplicated pregnancies and the decrease were greater in those patients who delivered before the 35th gestational week. The PlGF-test was positive in 93,7% of those women who delivered before the 35th gestational week and in 90,5% of those who delivered before the 37. gestational week. The vast majority of preeclamptic (PE: 95,7%, SIPE: 82,4%) and HELLP-syndrome (95%) patients had positive PlGF tests, the 60% of the chronic hypertension and the 44,4% of the gestational hypertension patients have also shown positive results. The main conclusion of this study is that the PlGF levels using maternal plasma are lower in those pregnancies which are complicated by hypertension and show strong correlation with the severity of the hypertensive disorder. We perceived high sensitivity values in detecting preeclampsia, HELLP-syndrome and superimposed preeclampsia. In the future we may use this method to separate high risk women for hypertensive disorders and it may improve the perinatal outcome]

[Prompt recognition and evaluation of hypertensive urgencies and emergencies can substantially decrease definitive target organ damage and mortality. Most frequent cause of sudden increase in blood pressure is stopping antihypertensive treatment. In hypertensive crises quickly acting parenteral drugs are of choice, while in urgencies orally administered ones might be sufficient. Cerebral and coronary hypoperfusion should be avoided therefore blood pressure must be decreased gradually.]