HYPERTENSION NEWS

difficult to establish a causal relationship between tacrolimus and
the development of hypertension; particularly as a population of
patients that did not receive tacrolimus was not available for
study (all patients at their institute receive tacrolimus as part of
their immunosuppressive regimen).
Nevertheless the major strength of this study is its novel
approach to non-invasive assessment of molecular changes in the
transplant population. The authors have demonstrated feasibility
in assessing urinary exosome protein levels and this may
ultimately serve as a surrogate measure of molecular changes in
the kidney. While it will be important to establish strong
correlations between exosome and tissue protein levels, this
approach has broad applicability and could lead to further
studies aimed at obtaining molecular insights that would
normally require biopsy.
- Dylan Burger
REFERENCES
1 Verghese PS et al. (2014) Nephrol Dial Transp. 29:209-218.
2 Hoorn EJ et al. (2011) Nat Med. 17(10):1304-9.
3 Rojas-Vega L et al. (2015) Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. Epub ahead of
print.
4 Esteva-Font C et al. (2010) Nephron Physiol. 114(3):25?34.
Institute Focus
Enrico Agabiti Rosei
Hypertension Excellence Center
Clinica Medica, Department of Clinical and
Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia and
Spedali Civili
Brescia, Italy
Excellence in research, teaching and clinical practice in the
field of hypertension has a long lasting tradition in Italy. We
established our activity in Brescia in the mid-seventies, after
moving from the University of Perugia. The University in Brescia
was founded in 1982, when it became independent after having
been part, at least as a Medical School, of the University of
Milan for many years. The former Director of the Clinica Medica
of the University of Brescia, where the clinical, educational and
research activities in hypertension are based, was Professor
Giulio Muiesan, who passed away at the beginning of 1990, and
from that date till the present time the Director has been Prof.
Enrico Agabiti Rosei.
including sections of Endocrine and Metabolic diseases,
Emergency Medicine, Respiratory Medicine) in the Hospital
Department of Medicine, chaired by E. Agabiti Rosei. It has
access to all the general resources of a large hospital, including
all the medical and surgical competences and modern imaging
and laboratory facilities.
The clinical work of the University Institute of Clinica Medica
and its Hypertension Excellence Center (HEC) is performed
within the Spedali Civili of Brescia. This is a public hospital
(1,500 beds) with a long and glorious history starting from the
end of the fifteen century and now one of the largest in the
country. It has been ranked in one of the top 5 positions for
quantity and quality of health activities over the last few years.
Clinical activities
The University Centre for the Study of Hypertension and
Cardiovascular Risk factors (Hypertension Excellence Centre,
HEC) is within the large Division of Clinica Medica (100 beds,
In particular, HEC is dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and
treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. It includes
a laboratory for noninvasive cardiovascular assessment (Prof. ML
Muiesan/ Prof. M Salvetti), a Laboratory for vascular structural and
functional evaluation (Prof. D Rizzoni), a Laboratory of Molecular
Medicine (Prof. M Castellano). Investigations supported by these
laboratories permit the precise evaluation of early cardiovascular
alterations in hypertension, the diagnosis of secondary forms of
hypertension, the monitoring of several hemodynamic signals,
the assessment of genetic mutations responsible for many
diseases related to hypertension.
The Centre is recognized as a referral clinical centre for
evaluation and treatment of resistant hypertension and
secondary hypertension (particularly pheochromocytoma and
Conn?s syndrome), as well as rare vascular diseases.
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