Diabetes care
-
The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of clinical and latent autoimmune diseases in Italian patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection before and after treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). ⋯ We have not found an increased frequency of clinical or latent autoimmune diseases in patients with chronic HCV infection. However, this study suggests that screening patients for autoantibodies (in particular, thyroid and pancreas) before and during IFN-alpha therapy may be useful in assessing the risk of patients developing autoimmune disease.
-
Erythrocytes (red blood cells [RBCs]) reduce extracellular ferricyanide by transmembrane transfer of reducing equivalents involving ascorbate recycling. ⋯ Transmembrane electron transfer is selectively increased in diabetic nephropathy, where RBC GSH is also depleted. The abnormality is peculiar to the nephropathy group and not contributed by familial or hereditary components because the electron flow was normal in siblings. The close relationship between cytosolic NADH and RBC electron transfer observed in diabetic patients without complications seems to be lost in the microangiopathic patients. Whereas patients with retinopathy alone still had normal activity of the RBC-reducing system, patients with nephropathy showed significantly increased activity, unrelated to metabolic parameters or plasma lactate concentration and correlated with renal function parameters and plasma thiols.
-
To review the effectiveness of diuretic or beta-blocker-based treatment of hypertension in diabetic patients. ⋯ These results show that hypertensive diabetic patients benefit from first-line treatment with diuretics. No conclusion can be drawn for beta-blockers, owing to the small sample size.
-
To test quantitative sensation testing (QST) patterns of hypoesthesia and hyperalgesia as indicators of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) and its severity ⋯ 1) Decreased vibratory sensation (hypoesthesia) appears to be characteristic of mild DPN, whereas panmodality hypoesthesia is characteristic of severe DPN. 2) A shift of vibratory and cold detection thresholds (and also of attributes of nerve conduction and a measure of autonomic dysfunction) from low-normal (2.5th-50th percentiles) to high-normal (50th-97.5th percentiles) appears to precede overt expression of DPN and to thereby provide evidence of subclinical abnormality 3) Heat stimulus-induced hyperesthesia (low thresholds) occurs especially in mild DPN, and, because it correlates with DPN symptoms and impairments, it must be attributed to hyperalgesia rather than to supersensitivity Therefore, hypoalgesia or hyperalgesia may be an indicator of early DPN.
-
Comparative Study
Evaluation of an electrochemical sensor for measuring blood ketones.
To evaluate the performance of a hand-held ketone sensor that is able to measure blood beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-HBA) concentrations within 30 s in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and patients who attend a weight management clinic. ⋯ This ketone sensor accurately measures whole blood beta-HBA concentrations within 30 s.