Urinary protein thiols in different grades of proteinuria.

Total thiol status of plasma, especially thiol groups over protein contributes maximum to the plasma antioxidant status of the body. Serum protein thiols were found to be decreased in various disease conditions including chronic renal failure patients. Only few studies determined the levels of urinary protein thiols in disease conditions. The current study was designed to know the levels of urinary protein thiols in patients with different grades of proteinuria. The study was conducted on urine of 40 healthy controls and 61 cases with proteinuria. Based on proteinuria cases were further divided into two groups; group I - microproteinuria (150-300 mg protein/d), 32 cases, group II - frank proteinuria (>300 mg protein/d), 29 cases. Urinary thiol levels were determined by spectrophotometric method using dithionitrobenzoic acid. A significant decrease (p<0.01) in urinary thiol in group I and group II cases was observed in present study and this decrease was associated with proteinuria.

Measurement of plasma hydroperoxide concentration by FOX-1 assay in conjunction with triphenylphosphine.

INTRODUCTION: Hydroperoxides are well-recognized reactive oxygen species which are associated with oxidative stress, a phenomenon of current clinical interest as oxidative stress is associated with a number of disease condition. Ferrous ion oxidation xylenol orange (FOX) methods of hydroperoxide estimation has outdated other methods available for hydroperoxide estimation. Two versions FOX assays are described in the literature, FOX-1 and FOX-2, in which FOX-1 is more sensitive. METHODS: we increased the sensitivity of FOX-1 assay by stabilizing the reagent pH 1.7-1.8. Analogous to FOX-2 assay, we have modified FOX-1 assay by using it in conjunction with triphenylphosphine and butylated hydroxytoluene, thus increasing the specificity of FOX-1 assay for hydroperoxide. By modified FOX-1 method, we estimated plasma hydroperoxide concentration of normal human subjects and of diabetic patients and compared with FOX-2 method. RESULTS: The FOX-1 method showed a significant high value of plasma hydroperoxide concentration compared to FOX-2 method both in normal subjects and diabetic patients with a significant correlation. By modified FOX-1 method, the recovery percentage of cumene hydroperoxide was better in biological samples when compared to FOX-2 method. CONCLUSION: The modified FOX-1 method is equally specific for hydroperoxide determination when compared to FOX-2 but is more sensitive.

Saliva: A tool in assessing glucose levels in Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder affecting people worldwide, which require constant monitoring of their glucose levels. Commonly employed procedures include collection of blood or urine samples causing discomfort to the patients. Hence the need for an alternative non invasive technique is required to monitor glucose levels. Saliva present in the oral cavity not only maintains the health of the oral cavity but plays a important role in diagnosis of cancers of the oral cavity, periodontal diseases, HIV, heart diseases etc. The aim of the present study was undertaken to correlate the glucose levels in saliva and blood of diabetic and healthy non diabetic individuals and to determine the efficacy of saliva as a diagnostic tool. MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of 30 individuals of which 20 patients were diabetic patients and on medication and 10 patients were healthy non diabetic individuals were included in the study. Blood and saliva were collected under resting conditions and were subjected to glucose estimation. RESULTS: Salivary and blood glucose concentrations were determined in non diabetic healthy individuals (n=10) and Type II Diabetes mellitus patients (n=20). Glycosylated haemoglobin A1c was also determined in both Type II diabetic patients and Control group and a significant correlation (r=0.73) and (r=0.46) was found between HbA1c and serum glucose concentrations in diabetic and control group respectively. A significant correlation (r=0.54) and (r=0.45) was found between fasting blood glucose and fasting salivary glucose for diabetic group and control group respectively. A positive correlation (r=0.39) and (r=0.38) was found between fasting salivary glucose and HbA1c for diabetic and control group respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the saliva can be used in the assessment of the blood glucose concentration in diabetes mellitus patients. How to cite the article: Satish BN, Srikala P, Maharudrappa B, Awanti M, Kumar P, Hugar D. Saliva: A tool in assessing glucose levels in Diabetes Mellitus. J Int Oral Health 2014;6(2):114-7.