Blood ALDH1 and GST activity in diabetes type 2 and its correlation with glycated hemoglobin.

There is increasing evidence that oxidative stress (OS) plays a major role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and the development of its complications. As one of the consequences of OS is increased lipid peroxidation (LP), the aim of our studies was to check, how the activity of 2 enzymes involved in the detoxification of aldehydes formed during LP, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH 1) is changed in patients suffering from DM.GST and ALDH1A1 activities were determined in whole blood samples of DM type 2 patients (n=64) and healthy controls (n=60) using spectrophotometer (for GST activity) and fluorometer (for ALDH1 activity) and they were found to be significantly increased in diabetics when compared with healthy control (p<0.05). Intriguingly, grouping the DM patients on the basis of the glucose level and HbA1c revealed unusually low ALDH activity in the group of patients (n=16) with a relatively high level of these 2 parameters.The increase of ALDH1A1 and GST activity in DM seems to be associated with the severity of the disease and might be a compensatory effect against oxidative stress. Surprisingly low ALDH activity in DM patients with relatively high glucose and HbA1c levels can be a factor predisposing to the development of diabetic complications.

[The pancreolaurinic test in patients with chronic pancreatitis and in patients with perforated acute pancreatitis]. / Test pankreolaurylowy u chorych na przewlekle zapalenie trzustki i u chorych po przebytym ostrym zapaleniu trzustki.

They presented a valuation of exocrine pancreatic function using pancreolaurinic test in 15 patients with chronic pancreatitis and in 34 patients after acute pancreatitis. In all patients with chronic pancreatitis they noted an insufficiency of exocrine pancreatic function with association of disorders of tolerance for carbohydrates during a year after a Puestow's operation. They noted a handicap of exocrine pancreatic function in 42% patients just after acute pancreatitis, in 18% patients a year acute pancreatitis and in 26% patients after 2-6 years from illness with association of disorders of tolerance for carbohydrates.

[Serum C reactive protein as a laboratory indicator of infection in neonates]. / Bialko C reaktywne w surowicy jako laboratoryjny wskaznik zakazenia u noworodków.

CRP was measured in cord blood of 41 neonates born by healthy mothers and those with either risk of infection or its obvious clinical symptoms, and in sera of 122 newborn babies from infection risk group. Results excluded cord blood as a possible specimen for CRP estimation, because of very low values, at lower limit of sensitivity of the immunoturbidimetric method, and showed a correlation of serum CRP and clinical condition and its usefulness in monitoring of anti-bacterial therapy.

[Evaluation of treating anemia in patients undergoing chronic dialysis with small doses of human recombinant erythropoietin]. / Ocena leczenia niedokrwistosci u chorych przewlekle dializowanych malymi dawkami ludzkiej rekombinowanej erytropoetyny.

The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of low dose subcutaneous (sc) recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) therapy in hemodialysis (hd) patients, with particular emphasis on their quality of life. 25 anemic (Ht < 25%) hd patients with end-stage renal disease were given small sc doses of rHuEpo once or twice weekly for 12 months. During first 4 months of the therapy there was a significant increase of Ht (21.1 +/- 0.5 vs 28.5 +/- 0.6%; p < 0.0001) and serum hb (6.68 +/- 0.12 vs 8.51 +/- 0.18 g/dl; p < 0.0001) at mean induction dose of 52.5 +/- 2.5 IU/kg/week and this was maintained with a mean dose 67.0 +/- 10.5 IU/kg/week. RHuEpo was effective in 24 patients; all of them required no blood transfusions after starting the therapy. In majority of patients an substantial (p < 0.01) improvements in exercise tolerance, well-being, cold tolerance, sexual satisfaction and libido were observed, although sexual hormones profile revealed no significant changes during the treatment. Within first 6 months of the study cardiac index decreased substantially (p < 0.01), mainly because of stroke volume reduction, but after one year this hemodynamic improvement was noted only in patients who maintained a stable blood pressure. Hypertension worsened in 31% of patients. Low-dose s.c. rHuEpo: (1) is effective and safe treatment for anemia in hds patients, sufficient to abolish blood transfusion requirements; (2) produces significant improvements in quality of life; and (3) allows for 50% costs reduction.

[Transferrin and ferritin as laboratory indices of body iron deposits]. / Transferyna i ferrytyna jako laboratoryjne wskazniki stanu zasobów zelaza w organizmie.

The aim of the study was to present the relation between serum parameters connected with iron metabolism; serum iron, transferrin and ferritin. Biochemical data in 126 patients were not compared with microscopic evaluation of erythrocytes. The tendency to decrease of serum transferrin with increased of serum ferritin was found. Significant relations between those proteins and serum iron were observed only in patients with very low ferritin values. It can be concluded that ferritin and transferrin may be considered as independent diagnostic in differential diagnosis of real (latent) and false iron depletion.

Practical usefulness of routinely assessed lipid parameters.

6145 lipid profiles were determined in a routine laboratory during 15 months of work. The samples were grouped according to the growing CH and/or TG levels, and relations between the most commonly used lipid parameters (eg total cholesterol, total triglycerides, cholesterol in HDL and LDL fractions) were established. The results are to some extent incompatible with widely accepted theories.

Changes in plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) levels after salbutamol.

Administration of salbutamol--in a single dose of 0.5 mg i.v. and in a dose of 8 mg twice daily during two weeks--was associated with an increase of HDL-cholesterol concentration in the serum of patients with chronic bronchitis and severe airway obstruction. At the end of the second week of oral treatment with salbutamol, the HDL-cholesterol concentration in serum increased by 6.9% (p less than 0.01).

[Selected indicators of lipid metabolism in screening tests of managerial staffs]. / Wybrane wykladniki gospodarki lipidowej w badaniach skriningowych kadry kierowniczej.

The studies covered 60 men (average age 43.5 +/- 6.5 years), carrying on managerial functions (average length of employment 8.3 +/- 2.5 years). All subjects underwent standard determinations of total cholesterol (Liebermann--Burchard's method) and triglycerides (using Boehringer's enzymatic set) and lypoproteins electrophoretic distribution on polyacrylamid gel (Ames' firm). In 31 subjects lypoproteins distribution was performed, through precipitation, into fractions HDL, LDL and HLDL, in which the contents of cholesterol and triglycerides have been determined. In 40% of subjects, hyperlypoproteidemia, type IV (HL-IV) has been found, which would indicate the advisability to cover the managerial personnel by such studies. The HL-IV has been found to be accompanied by an extreme increase of VLDL fraction triglycerides and a significant increase of cholesterol of this fraction. Moreover, the HDL cholesterol concentration has been found to be decreased, as compared to normolypo-proteidemia. The results of electrophoretic distribution indicated a good correlation with the results of total triglycerides in blood serum.

[Immunological assay of apolipoprotein A-I]. / Dosage immunologique de l'apolipoprotéine A-I.

Since lipid free apo A-I and lipid rich apo A-I (HDL, LP A, LP A-I) have different accessible antigenic sites, the electroimmunoassay ("rocket") does not allow the determination of the apo A-I concentration in both lipoproteins and serum when lipid free apo A-I are taken as controls. The results are found more significant when an isolated HDL or serum are used as reference. A comparison is made with the results (height of the pics) obtained for the same sample with different antibodies anti apo A-I, checked with the same HDL control, great differences two to one is observed. It is only explained by the various composition of antibodies directed against different apo A-I antigenic sites. Differences obtained in the levels of apo A-I in HDL2 and in HDL3 by immunoprecipitation show that the more lipoproteins are lipid rich the less their apo A-I are reached by antibodies.