There is considerable evidence suggesting that chronic cigarette smoking has adverse health effects: it is the major cause of disease and death in developed countries, inducing several kinds of cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease and severe vascular pathologies. Cigarette smoking is also a risk factor for diffuse atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease and peripheral vascular lesions, renal microvessels being another potential target. Furthermore, the relationships of chronic cigarette smoking and nitric oxide with endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease are well proven, and the association between e NOS gene polymorphisms and vascular disease and their dependence on chronic tobacco smoking has been stressed. But although there is definite evidence that the risk of progression of acquired or genetic renal disease is higher in chronic cigarette smokers and the negative effect on patient survival in chronic dialytic treatment is well known, these issues are still neglected by clinical nephrologists and the mechanisms involved have not yet been classified. It is for these reasons that the present volume has been put together: the questions addressed will be of particular interest to renal researchers working on an experimental basis as well as for oncologists and toxicologists.
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