Autoimmune kidney disease

Monash researchers have solved a mystery, revealing how certain immune cells work together to instigate autoimmune kidney disease.The study, led by Professor Michael Hickey and Professor Richard Kitching from Monash University's Centre for Inflammatory Diseases. In glomerulonephritis, an immune disease of the kidney, rogue immune cells damage the kidney via a misdirected inflammatory attack.

Special cells called monocytes continuously patrol the glomeruli by crawling within its blood vessels. Monocytes are very good at 'picking up and removing rubbish' and being on the lookout for signs of infection and tissue injury. However in autoimmunity, some immune cells in the circulation are highly reactive to molecules picked up in the kidney.

Patrolling monocytes can display these molecules to the reactive immune cells in the bloodstream, resulting in the rogue cells remaining in the kidney and turning on an unnecessary and damaging inflammatory attack. This autoimmune damage to the kidney can severely impact on the normal function of the kidney, if left untreated.

 This damage occurs while the cells are moving around in the kidney blood vessels. This process, known as intravascular antigen recognition, has never been described before for the key helper T cells that direct and control the immune response.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Kidney disease increases the risk of diabetes

Diabetes is known to increase the risk of kidney disease, kidney dysfunction also increases the risk of diabetes. The two-way relationship between kidney disease and diabetes is urea. The nitrogen-containing waste product in blood comes from the breakdown of protein in foods.

Kidneys normally remove urea from the blood, but it can build up when kidney function slows down. The findings are significant because urea levels can be lowered through medication, diet-for example, by eating less protein-and other means, thereby allowing for improved treatment and possible prevention of diabetes.

When urea builds up in the blood because of kidney dysfunction, increased insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion often result. Researchers evaluated the records of different adults without diabetes over a five-year period, blood test that measures the amount of urea nitrogen found in the blood showed that some of them had elevated urea levels, signaling poor kidney function.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Links between diabetes and erectile dysfunction

According to latest research, erectile dysfunction affects more than half of diabetes patients, some of the affected men could not maintain an erection.

Diabetes increases a man's risk of suffering from erectile dysfunction.
It can damage the nerves and blood vessels needed to become aroused leading to erectile dysfunction.

Diabetes patients can struggle to maintain an erection even if they produce the necessary hormones or are sufficiently sexually stimulated.

Regular medical examination can reduce the risk of diabetes complications like high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and kidney disease.

Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney problems, it increases the risk of untimely death.
            haleplushearty.blogspot.com