[Historical Archives of Italian Nephrology. Virchow's theories on atherosclerosis and related kidney disease].
This article concerns the development of theories about atherosclerosis and its changing manifestations, some of which, such as renal artery disease and ischemic nephropathy, have been clearly defined only in recent times. An anatomical consequence of atherosclerosis is the stenosis of the renal artery, which opens an unexpected clinical response in blood pressure (nephrovascular hypertension) and in kidney function (ischemic renal disease). Today's historian, no less than the clinician, is called on 'to demand the consideration of basic definitions and nomenclature.' It is impossible to overrate Virchow's theory of artherosclerosis and his great contribution to the concept of artery insudation and thrombosis process. But even Virchow did not expressly stress the concept of atherosclerosis as an autonomic non-inflammatory entity; he called the condition 'chronic endoarteritis deformans.' However, his hypothesis introduced some inflammatory factors that today are the basis of novel atherosclerosis theory. Although Anitschkow introduced the theory of the influence of cholesterol on atherosclerotic development, his theory has been partially contradicted by widespread epidemiological data. Currently, a re-emerging theory on the role of inflammation and infection in atherosclerosis seems to explain many clinical facts taken in small account by other theories.
Timio
M
M
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Nefrologia e Dialisi, Ospedale S. Giovanni Battista, Foligno (PG), Italy. timma@libero.it
D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D001167:Arteritis / Q000150:complications; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D012077:Renal Artery; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology