102 research outputs found
sj-docx-1-dvr-10.1177_14791641221094322 – Supplemental material for Plasma proteomics reveals an improved cardio-metabolic profile in patients with type 2 diabetes post-liraglutide treatment
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-dvr-10.1177_14791641221094322 for Plasma proteomics reveals an improved cardio-metabolic profile in patients with type 2 diabetes post-liraglutide treatment by Aishah A Ekhzaimy, Afshan Masood, Hicham Benabdelkamel, Tasnem Elhassan, Mohthash Musambil and Assim A Alfadda in Diabetes & Vascular Disease Research</p
Institutional renewal and adaptation (IRA): Creating and managing sustainable competetive advantage (SCA)
No full textThe primary purpose of this study is to propose and explore a theoretical framework linking the construct of Institutional Renewal and Adaptation (IRA) to the firm‘s ability to build and sustain its competitive advantage, which determines its ability to generate returns on capital for its shareholders and increase long-term value. The proposed framework builds upon the sources of competitive advantage foundations established by the prevailing theories on the subject, including the resource-based view, the market-based view, institutional theory, the dynamic capabilities framework, and the eclectic paradigm. The framework underscores the important roles a firm‘s resources, capabilities, market-based strategies, and institutional context play as key contributors to competitive advantage. The study argues that IRA is a mechanism that effectively fosters institutional learning, development, and sustainability. Relevant practices include innovation; organizational learning and competence-building; firms‘ management, organizational, and strategy development; flexibility of cultural values; global aptness and cultural intelligence; and a keen sense to detect shifts in markets and business environments. The current study also links IRA to sustainable competitive advantages using the Competitive Advantage Index (CAI), an operational metric defined and developed by the author, specifically for this purpose. Finally, this study seeks to contribute to the theoretical work that is needed to help understand how firms achieve and sustain above-average market returns as well as what would cause these returns to dissipate over time. The ultimate goal of the study is to advance the knowledge of how to build a better theory of firm performance and to expand knowledge related to the possible sources of sustainable competitive advantage..ii
INSTITUTIONAL RENEWAL AND ADAPTATION (IRA): CREATING AND MANAGING SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE (SCA)
By
Bashir Alfadda
[email protected]
A Thesis
Submitted to the
Graduate faculty
of
University of Maryland University College
In Partial Fulfillment of
The Requirements for the Degree
of
Doctor of Management
Dissertation Directed By:
Dr. James P. Gelatt
Dr. Kathleen Edwards
Dr. Michael A. Evanchik
Dr. Irmak Renda-Tanali,
Dr. Rana Kahn
December 13, 2010
iii
ABSTRACT
INSTITUTIONAL RENEWAL & ADAPTATION (IRA): CREATING AND MANAGING SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE (SCA)
By
Bashir Alfadda
[email protected]
The primary purpose of this study is to propose and explore a theoretical framework linking the construct of Institutional Renewal and Adaptation (IRA) to the firm‘s ability to build and sustain its competitive advantage, which determines its ability to generate returns on capital for its shareholders and increase long-term value. The proposed framework builds upon the sources of competitive advantage foundations established by the prevailing theories on the subject, including the resource-based view, the market-based view, institutional theory, the dynamic capabilities framework, and the eclectic paradigm. The framework underscores the important roles a firm‘s resources, capabilities, market-based strategies, and institutional context play as key contributors to competitive advantage. The study argues that IRA is a mechanism that effectively fosters institutional learning, development, and sustainability. Relevant practices include innovation; organizational learning and competence-building; firms‘ management, organizational, and strategy development; flexibility of cultural values; global aptness and cultural intelligence; and a keen sense to detect shifts in markets and business environments. The current study also links IRA to sustainable competitive advantages using the Competitive Advantage Index (CAI), an operational metric defined and developed by the author, specifically for this purpose. Finally, this study seeks to contribute to the theoretical work that is needed to help understand how firms achieve and sustain above-average market returns as well as what would cause these returns to dissipate over time. The ultimate goal of the study is to advance the knowledge of how to build a better theory of firm performance and to expand knowledge related to the possible sources of sustainable competitive advantage.
__________________________________________________________________
Keywords: Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA); Institutional Renewal and Adaptation (IRA); Competitive Advantage Index (CAI); High Performance/Competitive Advantage Enablers iv
© Copyright by
Bashir A. Alfadda
2010
v
Table of Contents
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ iii
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... v
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... vii
List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. vii
Chapter 1: Research Topic and Relevance to the Practice of Management ........................... 7
Statement of the Problem and Significance ................................................................................ 8
Thesis and Propositions ............................................................................................................ 13
Propositions.............................................................................................................................. 14
Research Question and Context ................................................................................................ 15
Summary .................................................................................................................................. 17
Chapter 2: Review of Literature and Thesis Investigation ..................................................... 19
Literature Review...................................................................................................................... 20
Literature Review Synthesis ..................................................................................................... 35
Innovation: Classic and contemporary approaches................................................................... 37
Supporting Studies .................................................................................................................... 45
Summary .................................................................................................................................. 48
Chapter 3: Findings, Analysis, and Theory .............................................................................. 52
Theory-Building Approach ....................................................................................................... 52
Research Question and Context Revisited ................................................................................ 54
Research Findings ..................................................................................................................... 57
Discussion ................................................................................................................................ 60
The Institutional Renewal and Adaptation (IRA) Conceptual Framework .............................. 66
IRA Framework in a Business Context .................................................................................... 69
Propositions Revisited .............................................................................................................. 71
Metrics: Competitive Advantage Index (CAI) ......................................................................... 71
Limitations and Constraints ...................................................................................................... 77
Chapter 4: Trends, Implications and Conclusions .................................................................. 79
Analysis and Implications of Trends ........................................................................................ 79
Implications for Management Practice ..................................................................................... 83
Areas for Further Research ....................................................................................................... 87
Summary .................................................................................................................................. 88
References ................................................................................................................................... 90
Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 96
Appendix A – Primary Data Validation Methodology ............................................................. 96
Appendix B – Expert Panel Reviews ...................................................................................... 111
vi
List of Tables
Table Title Page
1 Competitive Advantage Shifting Dynamics 10
2 Implications and Synthesis of Key Competitive Strategy Theories 36
3 Innovation Strategies 40
4 Closed vs. Open Innovation 41
5 Red Ocean versus Blue Ocean Strategies 42
6 Shifting Strategy Focus 43
7 Major Findings of the Thesis Supporting Studies 46
8 Contextual Interpretation of the Findings of the Thesis Supporting Studies 49
9 Summary of Findings 51
10 Conclusions from Literature Review and Synthesis 58
11 Establishing Cause-and-Effect Relationships Between High-performance Enablers and Competitive Advantage, Institutional Renewal, and/or Institutional Adaptation 59
List of Figures
Figure Title Page
1 Research questions and context 16
2 The innovation value chain 44
3 Components of a theory 53
4 Research questions and context 56
5 IRA conceptual framework 68
6 IRA conceptual framework in a business context 70
7 Evolving stages of economic development 80
8 IRA and the strategic business evolution of the firm 86
7
Chapter 1: Research Topic and Relevance to the Practice of Management
The current study seeks to understand how firms become successful, how they sometimes remain that way, why and how they improve, why they sometimes decline, and the role sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) plays in shaping these phenomena. To this end, the study explores and investigates sources and enablers of SCA, proposing the construct of Institutional Renewal and Adaptation (IRA), a theoretical framework that integrates these sources and enablers into a mechanism to help firms create and manage SCA. Researchers have long sought to develop theory to help businesses create and sustain competitive advantage. Indeed, Utterback (1994, p. 215) posits that
Even the casual observer of industrial enterprise must be struck by the cycle of development, growth, maturity, and decline through which most individual firms pass. Growth companies eventually run out of steam, or are eclipsed by new competitors. Solid blue chip companies that once seemed permanent fixtures of the economic scene suddenly fall under a weight of problems. Their descent from market leadership is often public and painful, marked by massive financial losses and employment disclosures.
Some blame the expanding global competition for the difficulties of beleaguered firms whereas others see them as victims of macroeconomics and structural shifts beyond the clear control of government and corporate managers (Utterback, 1994).
As a theoretical foundation, the study's proposed framework builds upon the prevailing competitive strategy theories. Prevailing theories are those that the current author found to be the most discussed, referenced, and debated on the subject. Those thought leaders who have 8
contributed to the seminal work of this subject are also referenced very frequently (several hundred to several thousand times) according to the Web of Science database. Among those theories are the resource-based view of a firm (Amit & Shoemaker, 1993; Barney, 1991; Peteraf, 1993), the market-based or competitive forces view of a firm (Porter, 1985), institutional theory (Bresser & Millonig, 2003; Oliver, 1997), the dynamic capabilities framework (Teece, Pisano & Shuen, 1997), and the eclectic paradigm (Dunning & Lundan, 2008). The study examines innovation; sociopolitical legitimacy; organizational learning and competence building; management, organizational, and strategy development; flexibility of cultural values; and global aptness and cultural intelligence as key performance enablers, connecting them to the proposed IRA and SCA constructs.
Statement of the Problem and Significance
This study promotes an understanding of the impact of the institutional context of the firm on its ability to create and sustain a competitive advantage. A company‘s competitive advantage strongly affects its ability to generate above-average market returns on capital for its shareholders and to remain a viable business entity. SCA is essentially the firm‘s ability to create superior value for its customers in addition to superior financial performance for itself.
Barney (1991) posits that a firm has a competitive advantage when it is implementing a value creation strategy not being simultaneously implemented by any current or potential competitor. Furthermore, he defines SCA as the firm‘s ability to implement the value creation strategy previously discussed while other firms are unable to duplicate the same. Other authors have defined SCA as simply a competitive advantage that lasts a long period of time (Jacobson, 1988; Porter, 1985, as cited in Barney, 1991, p. 102). The concept of SCA used in the current 9
study refers to an organization’s continuous ability to acquire and develop the required combination of attributes that enables it to outperform its competitors on a long-term basis.
During the last two decades, the global economic landscape has been redefined. The era has witnessed the proliferation of the internet, increased dependence on e-commerce, and a broadening of the labor pool to include virtual teams across the globe. China and India have emerged as economic superpowers in a world characterized by fewer economic boundaries and higher levels of interdependence across firms, industries, and nations. To a large extent, the new environment represents fundamental change in the way in which commerce is conducted and firms compete. Markets, competitors, labor pools, and supply chains extend across the globe and no longer have rigid geographic or demographic limitations. Indeed, Prahalad and Hamel (1990, p. 80) posit that,
Once, the diversified corporation could simply point its business units at a particular end product markets and admonish them to become world leaders. However, with market-boundaries changing ever more quickly, targets are elusive and capture is at best temporary. A few companies have proven themselves adept at inventing new markets, quickly entering emerging markets, and dramatically shifting patterns of customer choice in established markets. These are the ones to emulate.
SCA can be attained even if the resources available at the firm‘s disposal are neither perfectly imitable nor substitutable without great effort (Hoopes, 2003, p. 891; Barney, 1991, p. 117). According to Porter (2004), cost, differentiation, and focus are the three fundamental types of competitive advantage. 10
The new global economic environment makes it possible for firms to compete in markets that span the globe. Yet this means that firms also face a much broader base of competitors in domestic as well as international markets, as evidenced by the dramatic shifts in competitive advantages witnessed among firms, industries, and national economies during the period in which globalization evolved. Competitive advantage can be sustained over time (as evidenced by Toyota, HP, Intel, and Microsoft), partially shifted to competitors (Sun Microsystems, retail booksellers, and General Motors), or completely eroded (PC industry for IBM, UK auto industry, minicomputers for DEC) (see Table 1).
Table 1.
Competitive Advantage Shifting Dynamics Company / Industry Competitive Position Possible Cause(s) Effect(s) Prevailing entity/ beneficiary
1
IBM (PC)
Imitability
Loss of PC Business
Intel, MS, PC firms
2
Novell
Substitutability
Loss of Network OS leadership
MS
3
Sun
Substitutability
Loss of workstation leadership
HP, Dell and PC firms
4
Silicon Graphics
Substitutability
Loss of workstation leadership
HP, Dell and PC firms
5
Netscape
Substitutability
Loss of search engine leadership
Google, yahoo, MS
6
DEC
Substitutability
Loss minicomputer market
PC and WS leaders
7
IBM, Fujitsu, Amdahl, Data General
Substitutability
Diminished mainframe market share
PC, servers, WS, network firms
8
GM, Ford, Chrysler
Imitability and substitutability
Loss of leadership and market share
Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW
9
Texas Inst. (TI)
Imitability and substitutability
Loss of calculator business
HP, Toshiba, Casio, others
10
Motorola
substitutability
Loss of mobile phone leadership
Nokia, Samsung, etc. 11
Company / Industry Competitive Position Possible Cause(s) Effect(s) Prevailing entity/ beneficiary
11
Retail book-sellers
Substitutability
Loss of market share
Amazon.com, internet commerce
12
Retail travel agency
Substitutability
Loss of market share
Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, etc.
13
UK Auto Industry
Substitutability
Loss of Industry
Auto manufacturers
14
HP (Printer business)
Enhanced and/or maintained position
Maintain leadership of printer business
HP
15
Intel
Enhanced and/or maintained position
Maintain leadership of Microprocessor B.
Intel
16
Toyota, Honda, BMW
Enhanced and/or maintained position
Increase market share and leadership
Toyota, Honda, BMW
17
Microsoft
Enhanced and/or maintained position
Maintain leadership of PC OS and Apps.
MS
Table 1 presents several examples that demonstrate the influence of imitability and substitutability on a firm‘s competitive position. Imitability and substitutability are possible causes of the shifts in the competitive advantage positions among firms, industries, and nations. If a valuable resource is controlled by only one firm, it could be a source of competitive advantage (Barney, 1991, p. 107). ―This advantage is sustainable if competitors are not able to duplicate this strategic asset perfectly‖ (Peteraf, 1993, p. 183). Imitability occurs when competitors are able to duplicate a firm‘s strategic assets perfectly and offer identical or similar goods and services at lower prices and/or better terms. The displacement of IBM as the principal producer of PCs during the 1990s can be attributed to imitability. The same can be said about Texas Instruments‘ loss of the hand-held calculator business. Yet even if a resource is rare, potentially value creating, and imperfectly imitable, an equally important aspect is lack of substitutability (Barney, 1991, p. 111). Examples of substitutability over the past two decades 12
include the centralized computing environment using mainframe computers being largely substituted by an environment of personal computer networks, some postal mail categories being largely substituted by email, certain segments of traditional media advertising being substituted by internet advertising, and pagers being substituted by mobile telephones.
One of the most evident examples of the impact of these factors on sustainability is the failure of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Data General, and Silicon Graphics to anticipate the impact of the emergence of the PC industry on their ability to maintain a competitive advantage, which largely resulted on the dismantlement of the firms or a complete loss of a business segment. Meanwhile, IBM—the inventor of the PC—has entirely surrendered the PC industry due to competitive pressures from rivals. It might be argued that IBM has abandoned the PC industry as a conscious strategic decision to focus on other priorities, such as services and consulting. Personal computing and related industries have evolved into a substantially larger business opportunity than the one IBM currently serves. Indeed, IBM could have profoundly reinforced its leadership position had it been able to maintain its hold on the PC segments of the information technology industry. Likewise, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have all been struggling for survivorship in recent years because of their failure to cope with the trends of the automotive industry and effectively counter the emergence of fierce competition from Japanese, German, and Korean manufacturers. Meanwhile, Microsoft, BMW and Toyota have been able to sustain and reinforce their competitive advantage positions over time. This discussion highlights the importance of SCA to the well-being and survivorship prospects of a firm or a national industry.
The current study proposes that an effective Institutional Renewal and Adaptation (IRA) strategy contributes to building and sustaining a competitive advantage. This study explores and 13
promotes an understanding of the IRA propositions (discussed below and revisited in Chapter 3), their impact on the institutional context of the firm, and how they will affect the firm‘s ability to create and sustain a competitive advantage.
Thesis
As the literature review (Chapter 2) will reveal, the prevailing theories on this subject offer multiple perspectives and remedies for building and sustaining a competitive advantage. Each theory, when taken in isolation, presents plausible arguments regarding the value that its respective remedies
Circulating Adipokines in Healthy versus Unhealthy Overweight and Obese Subjects
Get PDFIt is now well established that not all obese subjects are at increased risk of cardiometabolic complications; such patients are termed the metabolically healthy obese. Despite their higher-than-normal body fat mass, they are still insulin sensitive, with a favorable inflammatory and lipid profile and no signs of hypertension. It remains unclear which factors determine an individual's metabolic health. Adipose tissue is known to secrete multiple bioactive substances, called adipokines, that can contribute to the development of obesity-associated complications. The goal of this study was to determine whether the circulating adipokine profiles differs between metabolically healthy and metabolically unhealthy overweight and obese subjects, thereby obtaining data that could help to explain the link between obesity and its related cardiometabolic complications. We defined metabolic health in terms of several metabolic and inflammatory risk factors. The serum adiponectin levels were higher in the healthy group and showed a positive correlation with HDL cholesterol levels in the unhealthy group. There were no differences between the two groups in the levels of serum leptin, chemerin and orosomucoid. Accordingly, adiponectin might play a role in protecting against obesity-associated cardiometabolic derangements. More studies are needed to clarify the role of different chemerin isoforms in this system
Circulating adipokines in healthy versus unhealthy overweight and obese subjects
Get PDFIt is now well established that not all obese subjects are at increased risk of cardiometabolic complications; such patients are termed the metabolically healthy obese. Despite their higher-than-normal body fat mass, they are still insulin sensitive, with a favorable inflammatory and lipid profile and no signs of hypertension. It remains unclear which factors determine an individual's metabolic health. Adipose tissue is known to secrete multiple bioactive substances, called adipokines, that can contribute to the development of obesity-associated complications. The goal of this study was to determine whether the circulating adipokine profiles differs between metabolically healthy and metabolically unhealthy overweight and obese subjects, thereby obtaining data that could help to explain the link between obesity and its related cardiometabolic complications. We defined metabolic health in terms of several metabolic and inflammatory risk factors. The serum adiponectin levels were higher in the healthy group and showed a positive correlation with HDL cholesterol levels in the unhealthy group. There were no differences between the two groups in the levels of serum leptin, chemerin and orosomucoid. Accordingly, adiponectin might play a role in protecting against obesity-associated cardiometabolic derangements. More studies are needed to clarify the role of different chemerin isoforms in this system
Inhibition of eNOS Partially Blunts the Beneficial Effects of Nebivolol on Angiotensin II-Induced Signaling in H9c2 Cardiomyoblasts
No full textWe have recently illustrated that nebivolol can inhibit angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated signaling in cardiomyoblasts; however, to date, the detailed mechanism for the beneficial effects of nebivolol has not been studied. Here, we investigated whether the inhibition of NO bioavailability by blocking eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) using L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) would attenuate nebivolol-mediated favorable effects on Ang II-evoked signaling in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. Our data reveal that the nebivolol-mediated antagonistic effects on Ang II-induced oxidative stress were retreated by concurrent pretreatment with L-NAME and nebivolol. Similarly, the expressions of pro-inflammatory markers TNF-α and iNOS stimulated by Ang II were not decreased with the combination of nebivolol plus L-NAME. In contrast, the nebivolol-induced reduction in the Ang II-triggered mTORC1 pathway and the mRNA levels of hypertrophic markers ANP, BNP, and β-MHC were not reversed with the addition of L-NAME to nebivolol. In compliance with these data, the inhibition of eNOS by L-N⁵-(1-Iminoethyl) ornithine (LNIO) and its upstream regulator AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) with compound C in the presence of nebivolol showed effects similar to those of the L-NAME plus nebivolol combination on Ang II-mediated signaling. Pretreatment with either compound C plus nebivolol or LNIO plus nebivolol showed similar effects to those of the L-NAME plus nebivolol combination on Ang II-mediated signaling. In conclusion, our data indicate that the rise in NO bioavailability caused by nebivolol via the stimulation of AMPK/eNOS signaling is key for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties but not for its antihypertrophic response upon Ang II stimulation
Obesity Proteomics: An Update on the Strategies and Tools Employed in the Study of Human Obesity
No full textProteomics has become one of the most important disciplines for characterizing cellular protein composition, building functional linkages between protein molecules, and providing insight into the mechanisms of biological processes in a high-throughput manner. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic advances have made it possible to study human diseases, including obesity, through the identification and biochemical characterization of alterations in proteins that are associated with it and its comorbidities. A sizeable number of proteomic studies have used the combination of large-scale separation techniques, such as high-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis or liquid chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry, for high-throughput protein identification. These studies have applied proteomics to comprehensive biochemical profiling and comparison studies while using different tissues and biological fluids from patients to demonstrate the physiological or pathological adaptations within their proteomes. Further investigations into these proteome-wide alterations will enable us to not only understand the disease pathophysiology, but also to determine signature proteins that can serve as biomarkers for obesity and related diseases. This review examines the different proteomic techniques used to study human obesity and discusses its successful applications along with its technical limitations
Apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratio in relation to various definitions of metabolic syndrome among Saudi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
No full textObjectives: To assess if the apolipoprotein Apo B/Apo A-I ratio in Saudi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus T2DM is associated with metabolic syndrome MetS.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 patients with T2DM, above 40 years of age, at King Abdulaziz University Hospital Diabetes Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January and December 2006. Metabolic syndrome was defined, and compared according to 3 criteria, namely, National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, International Diabetes Federation, and World Health Organization.
Results: In the 250 patients studied, all 3 definitions demonstrated significant increase in the Apo B/Apo A-I ratio, in Saudi type 2 diabetics with the MetS. There was a strong positive correlation between the Apo B/Apo A-I ratio and triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol r=0.43-0.54, p<0.0001, and a weak, yet significant, correlation r=0.14-0.21, p<0.05 with waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1c, however, not with body mass index r=0.01, p=0.88. In contrast, the ratio showed strong negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol r =-0.7, p<0.0001.
Conclusions: Apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratio is significantly associated with MetS in Saudi patients with T2DM, similar to observations made in other ethnic groups
Islet Autoantibodies to Pancreatic Insulin-Producing Beta Cells in Adolescent and Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study
No full text(1) Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease caused by the destruction of pancreatic insulin-producing beta cells. T1D is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic disorders occurring in children. Autoantibodies against pancreatic insulin-producing beta cells are important immunological and serological markers of T1D. Zinc transporter 8 autoantibody (ZnT8) is a recently identified autoantibody in T1D; however, no data on ZnT8 autoantibody in the Saudi Arabian population have been reported. Thus, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of islet autoantibodies (IA-2 and ZnT8) in adolescents and adults with T1D according to age and disease duration. (2) Methods: In total, 270 patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. After meeting the study’s inclusion and exclusion criteria, 108 patients with T1D (50 men and 58 women) were assessed for T1D autoantibody levels. Serum ZnT8 and IA-2 autoantibodies were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. (3) Results: IA-2 and ZnT8 autoantibodies were present in 67.6% and 54.6% of patients with T1D, respectively. Autoantibody positivity was found in 79.6% of the patients with T1D. Both the IA-2 and ZnT8 autoantibodies were frequently observed in adolescents. The prevalence of IA-2 and ZnT8 autoantibodies in patients with a disease duration < 1 year was 100% and 62.5%, respectively, which declined with an increase in disease duration (p < 0.020). Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between age and autoantibodies (p < 0.004). (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of IA-2 and ZnT8 autoantibodies in the Saudi Arabian T1D population appears to be higher in adolescents. The current study also showed that the prevalence of autoantibodies decreased with disease duration and age. IA-2 and ZnT8 autoantibodies are important immunological and serological markers for T1D diagnosis in the Saudi Arabian population
Proteomics Profiling of the Urine of Patients with Hyperthyroidism after Anti-Thyroid Treatment
No full textHyperthyroidism, which is characterized by increased circulating thyroid hormone levels, alters the body’s metabolic and systemic hemodynamic balance and directly influences renal function. In this study, the urinary proteome of patients with hyperthyroidism was characterized using an untargeted proteomic approach with network analysis. Urine samples were collected from nine age-matched patients before and after carbimazole treatment. Differences in the abundance of urinary proteins between hyperthyroid and euthyroid states were determined using a 2D-DIGE coupled to MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Alterations in the abundance of urinary proteins, analyzed via Progenesis software, revealed a statistically significant difference in abundance in a total of 40 spots corresponding to 32 proteins, 25 up and 7 down (≥1.5-fold change, ANOVA, p ≤ 0.05). The proteins identified in the study are known to regulate processes associated with cellular metabolism, transport, and acute phase response. The notable upregulated urinary proteins were serotransferrin, transthyretin, serum albumin, ceruloplasmin, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, syntenin-1, and glutaminyl peptide cyclotransferase, whereas the three notable downregulated proteins were plasma kallikrein, protein glutamine gamma-glutamyl transferase, and serpin B3 (SERPINB3). Bioinformatic analysis using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) identified the dysregulation of pathways associated with cellular compromise, inflammatory response, cellular assembly, and organization and identified the involvement of the APP and AKT signaling pathways via their interactions with interleukins as the central nodes
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