1,721,007 research outputs found
Diagnosi di diabete: è sufficiente l'HbA1c?
Full text linkBackground: Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is considered the âgold standardâ for monitoring metabolic control in diabetes. New diagnostic criteria have been proposed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) focusing on A1C for diagnosis of diabetes as well as for identification of the subjects at increased risk, being values ≥6,5% (48 mmol/mol) diagnostic for diabetes and values between 5,7 - 6,4% , (39- 47 mmol/mol) suggestive of a pre-diabete condition. Measuring HbA1c has several advantages over glucose measurements, but its particular adoption should be considered only if the test is carried out under standardised conditions taking into account its limitations, the impact of measurement on the epidemiology of diabetes and other categories of glucose intolerance is widely discussed.
Research design and Methods: The study, started on April 2010, includes all subjects presenting to outpatients department with request of OGTT in which the diagnostic performance of new proposed criteria and standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) has been compared. Until now 498 subjects (males n=194, females n= 304, mean age (51,17±15,49)years) have been enrolled. Plasma glucose, lipid profile and creatinine have been measured using Cobas 8000, (Roche Diagnostics); Hb A1C with HPLC procedure (Adams HA-8180 Arkray, Kyoto, Japan) and serum insulin with Immulite 2000 (Simens).
Results: OGTTs has identified pre-diabetic condition in 21.48% of subjects (n=107) while new diagnostic criteria in 40,16% (n=200), being serum insulin, mean 3,17 U/L and 4,764 U/L and HOMA index, mean 0.95 and 1.240 respectively. The diagnosis of diabetes occurred in 18,27% of subjects (n=91, mean serum insulin 5,9 U/L), vs 6.62% (n=33, mean serum insulin 4,92 U/L) according to OGTT and new proposed criteria respectively. The HOMA index were respectively 1.76 and 1.53.
Conclusion: The data obtained in our study evidence that the proposed new diagnostic criteria are questionable because 11,65 % of diabetesâs cases are misclassifie
Two rapid SARS-CoV-2 disposable devices for semi-quantitative S-RBD antibody levels determination compared with CLIA and ELISA assays at different protective thresholds
No full textPerformance of two disposable devices for identifying subjects with low anti-SARS-CoV-2 protection was compared with that of automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and chemiluminescent (CLIA) assay
Letter to the editor: What is the role of serum thyroglobulin measurement in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer treated without radioactive iodine?
No full textEffect of a New Formulation of Nutraceuticals as an Add-On to Metformin Monotherapy for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Suboptimal Glycemic Control: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Full text linkThe aim of the study was to evaluate the overall biohumoral and metabolic effects of a 12-week add-on therapy consisting of a new nutraceutical formulation (BHC) based on berberine, hesperidin, and chromium picolinate in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) patients with suboptimal glycemic compensation receiving metformin. After 12 weeks, participants in the group receiving metformin plus BHC, compared to the group receiving metformin only, saw a significant improvement in their glucose profile, in terms of both glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose (FBG). Their FBG dropped from 145 ± 20 mg/dL to 128 ± 23 mg/dL (p < 0.01), a decrease of 11.7% compared with the baseline. This decrease differed significantly from the situation in the control arm (p < 0.05). HbA1c decreased by 7.5% from the baseline, from 53.5 ± 4.3 mmol/mol to 49.5 ± 5.1 mmol/mol (p < 0.01), in the group given BHC, while no difference was seen in the control group. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were found to be significantly reduced (p < 0.01) only in the BHC group, from 9.34 ± 7.61 μg/mL to 6.75 ± 6.13 μg/mL, and from 1.7 ± 0.15 μmol/L to 1.4 ± 0.25 μmol/L, respectively. In patients with T2D taking metformin with suboptimal glycemic compensation, adding BHC for 3 months significantly improved glucose control in terms of FBG and HbA1c, and had a positive effect on the lipid peroxidation profile, as indicated by a decrease in AGEs and MDA
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Effectiveness of a diet with low advanced glycation end products, in improving glycoxidation and lipid peroxidation: a long-term investigation in patients with chronic renal failure
No full textAdvanced glycation end products (AGEs) have a crucial role in the process of atherosclerosis, particularly in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), which have a dual form of damage, namely an increased formation of serum AGEs and their reduced clearance [1, 2]. We previously observed that AGEs can react with the peritoneal matrix protein, giving a reason for the gradual loss of peritoneal membrane function observed in patients undergoing long-term peritoneal dialysis [3, 4]
Progranulin measurement with a new automated method: a step forward in the diagnostic approach to neurodegenerative disorders
No full textMutations in the GRN gene encoded glycoprotein progranulin (PGRN), cause 5-10 % of all cases of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). The aim of our study was to verify the analytical and clinical performance of an automated chemiluminescent immunoassay method for PGRN measurement recently developed (Chorus Evo, Diesse Diagnostica, Italy). Five plasma pools and residual plasma samples (K2EDTA) from 25 control subjects (11 males, 62-79 years; 14 females, 54-76 years) and 151 patients (70 males, 53-81 years; 81 females, 44-82 years) with different neurodegenerative disorders (NDs), were assayed. In 61 out of 151 patients, genetic GRN screening was carried. Within-run imprecision (CV%) ranged from 3.8 % (11.5 pg/L) to 10.8 % (2.5 pg/L), and between-run, from 5.6 % (68.7 pg/L) to 10.7 % (2.8 pg/L). At genetic screening, 3 out of 61 patients were classified as GRN+ carriers, 18 as "other mutations"and 40 as "no-mutations"carriers. The PGRN median level in GRN+ carriers (15.9 pg/L) was significantly lower than that in control subjects (32.8 pg/L; p=0.006), in GRN- (27.50 pg/L; p=0.007), in other mutation carriers (24.80 pg/L; p=0.05) and in NDs patients (22.40 pg/L; p=0.05) ROC analysis, demonstrates the accuracy of progranulin levels in discriminating between "GRN+"and "GRN-"carriers (AUC 0.985) as well as "GRN+"and "other mutations"carriers (AUC 0.870). The new automated progranulin method, for robust analytical performance, is suitable for use in the clinical setting, supporting clinicians in making a differential diagnosis in patients with neurodegenerative disorder
Ruolo di endogenous secretory RAGE nelle complicanze micro-macrovascolari di un gruppo di pazienti diabetici tipo 2.
No full textAnti-diabetic combination therapy with pioglitazone or glimepiride added to metformin on the AGE-RAGE axis: a randomized prospective study
Full text linkIntroduction: The ratio between advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and
soluble form of receptor (s-RAGE) has been proposed as a risk marker for renal
and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate in the diabetes
condition the influence of two different oral anti-diabetic treatments on the AGE/
s-RAGE ratio, during a 5-year observation period.
Methods: Seventy-three patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly
assigned to a drug therapy with pioglitazone or glimepiride, combined to
metformin. Each subject was evaluated at baseline and after 5 years of treatment.
Results: In both groups s-RAGE levels did not significantly vary, while the levels of
AGE and AGE/s-RAGE were both significantly reduced, basal compared to 5-year
values. Within pioglitazone group, as well within glimepiride group, significant
variations (D, as difference between 5 years of treatment minus basal) were
observed for AGE (D= ˗21.1±13.4 μg/ml, P<0.001 for pioglitazone; D= ˗14.4±11.4
μg/ml, P<0.001 for glimepiride) and in AGE/s-RAGE (D= -0.037±0.022 μg/pg,
P<0.001 for pioglitazone; D= -0.024±0.020μg/pg, P<0.001 for glimepiride),
suggesting an average decrease of the parameters by more than 50% in both
treatments. Pioglitazone was more effective than glimepiride in reducing AGE/s-
RAGE ratio after 5 years of therapy.
Conclusion: These data can help to explain the benefits of oral anti-diabetic
therapy in relation to the reduction of cardiovascular risk, as suggested by
variations in AGE/s-RAGE ratio as biochemical marker of endothelial function;
in particular, treatment with pioglitazone seems to offer greater long-term
benefit on AGE-RAGE axis
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