Primary pulmonary hypertension is a fatal disease causing progressive right heart failure within 3 years after diagnosis. We describe a new concept for treatment of the disease using vasoactive intestinal peptide, a neuropeptide primarily functioning as a neurotransmitter that acts as a potent systemic and pulmonary vasodilator. Our rationale is based on the finding of a deficiency of the pepti...

PURPOSE The natriuretic peptide (NP) family includes atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). Natriuretic peptides are known to inhibit vascular cell growth and regulate vessel tone. There is also much evidence to suggest they modulate vascular permeability and angiogenesis, as well as regulating aqueous humor production in the eye...

paragangliomas are extra-adrenal counterparts of pheochromocytomas and are found at various anatomical sites such as the retroperitoneum, mediastinum, jugular foramen and carotid bifurcation, the latter two fonns being coined as chemodectomas. the vertebral column, especially the llullbar zone, is one of the rarest sites to be involved by paragangliomas. these lesions may have secretory functio...

the distinction between malignant and benign pheochromocytoma has always been a diagnostic challenge over the last decades. to date, the only reliable criterion is metastasis. the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible expression of pituitary-tumor transforming gene (pttg1) and retinoblastoma (rb) in benign and malignant pheochromocytoma. paraffin blocks of 44 and 11 patients ...

background hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc) is the fifth most common fatal cancer and an important healthcare problem worldwide. there are many studies describing the prognostic and predictive effects of epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (c-erb-b2) and epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (egfr), transmembrane tyrosine kinases that influence cell growth and proliferation in many tumors. objectives...