Disease markers
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To assess and compare the roles of plasma and urine concentrations of neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) and Cystatin C for early diagnosis of septic acute kidney injury (AKI) in adult critically ill patients. ⋯ Plasma and urinary Cystatin C and urinary NGAL are useful markers in predicting AKI in septic critically ill patients. Plasma NGAL raises in patients with sepsis in the absence of AKI and should be used with caution as a marker of AKI in septic ICU patients.
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Aim of this trial was to assess (1) the accuracy and precision of electrochemistry-based glucometers CONTOURLINK, CALLA, and LINUS and (2) the diabetes control using Ambulatory Glycaemic Profiles (AGP) as markers of therapeutic effectiveness. Glucometers and COBAS INTEGRA 400 Plus analyzer were used by one laboratory professional to estimate P-glucose (PG) in 112 out-patients. There were 112 sets of 12 PG estimations analyzed. ⋯ All patients were trained to perform defined 10-point PG profiles to adapt food, exercise, and insulin doses. The PG differences between all tested glucometers and reference values were in borderline of ISO 15197 but worthy of consideration. AGP are helpful markers of diabetes control.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the ratio in the diagnosis and evaluation of therapeutic effect in patients with coronary artery disease.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the value of ox-LDL and oxidation ratio of LDL (ox-LDL/TC, ox-LDL/HDL-C and ox-LDL/LDL-C) in diagnosis and prognosis evaluation in CAD patients. Also, we aimed to observe the effect of statins on reducing level of ox-LDL and oxidation ratio of LDL, and explore whether statins still have similar effect on ox-LDL in a short period of therapy (within 2 weeks). ⋯ Ox-LDL and oxidation ratio of LDL are closely related with AS, and they are better biomarkers for discriminating between patients with coronary artery disease and healthy subjects. In addition, statins can decrease level of ox-LDL significantly, which is independent of lowering of LDL-C and TC.
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Leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene defects cause Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, LRRK2 has also been shown by genome wide association (GWA) studies to be a susceptibility gene for the disease. In India mutations in LRRK2 is a rare cause of PD. ⋯ G2019S), and a risk variant common among Asians (p. G2385R) but did not observe any of the above mentioned variants in our cohort. Our study, therefore, strongly suggests that LRRK2 has minimal role as a candidate and susceptibility gene in PD pathogenesis among East Indians.
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BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations predispose heterozygous carriers to hereditary breast/ovarian cancer. However, unclassified variants (UVs) (variants with unknown clinical significance) and missense polymorphisms in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes pose a problem in genetic counseling, as their impact on risk of breast and ovarian cancer is still unclear. The objective of our study was to identify UVs and missense polymorphisms in Algerian breast/ovarian cancer patients and relatives tested previously for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes germline mutations analysis. ⋯ For the first time, UVs and missense polymorphisms in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have been identified in Algerian breast/ovarian cancer families. Evaluation of breast/ovarian cancer risk induced by the eight new missense UVs and common polymorphisms detected in our present work is on going in a larger study.