Purpose. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This paper aims to examine whether biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidants could be useful biomarkers in AD, which might form the bases of future clinical studies. Methods. PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science were systematically queried to obtain studies with available data regarding markers of oxidative stress and antioxidants from subjects with AD. Results and Conclusion. Although most studies show elevated serum markers of lipid peroxidation in AD, there is no sufficient evidence to justify the routine use of biomarkers as predictors of severity or outcome in AD.

Background and aimThe sensitivity and specificity of biomarkers and scoring systems used for predicting fatality of severe sepsis patients remain unsatisfactory. This study aimed to determine the prognostic value of circulating plasma DNA levels in severe septic patients presenting at the Emergency Department (ED).MethodsSixty-seven consecutive patients with severe sepsis and 33 controls were evaluated. Plasma DNA levels were estimated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay using primers for the human β-hemoglobin and ND2 gene. The patients’ clinical and laboratory data on admission were analyzed.ResultsThe median plasma nuclear and mitochondria DNA levels for severe septic patients on admission were significantly higher than those of the controls. The mean plasma nuclear DNA level on admission correlated with lactate concentration (γ = 0.36, p = 0.003) and plasma mitochondrial DNA on admission (γ = 0.708, p < 0.001). Significant prognostic factors for fatality included mechanical ventilation within the first 24 hours (p = 0.013), mean sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on admission (p = 0.04), serum lactate (p < 0.001), and both plasma nuclear and mitochondrial DNA on admission (p < 0.001). Plasma mitochondrial DNA was an independent predictor of fatality by stepwise logistic regression such that an increase by one ng/mL in level would increase fatality rate by 0.7%.ConclusionPlasma DNA has potential use for predicting outcome in septic patients arriving at the emergency room. Plasma mitochondrial DNA level on admission is a more powerful predictor than lactate concentration or SOFA scores on admission.

Variability in HbA1c is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. The present study evaluated the severity of somatic nerve dysfunction at different stages of chronic glycemic impairment, and its correlation with different cardio-metabolic parameters. The study was conducted on 223 patients with type 2 diabetes. We calculated the intrapersonal mean, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation of HbA1c for each patient using all measurements obtained for 3 years prior to the study. Patients were divided into quartiles according to the SD of HbA1c, and we constructed composite scores of nerve conduction as the severity of peripheral neuropathy. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of independent variables on mean composite scores. Those with higher SD-HbA1c had a higher body mass index, mean and index HbA1c, triglyceride and uric acid level, urinary albumin excretion and albumin-creatinine ratio, proportion of insulin therapy, and prevalence of hypertension as the underlying diseases, but lower estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In addition, those with higher SD-HbA1c showed lower amplitudes and reduced motor nerve conduction velocity in tested nerves, and lower sensory nerve conduction velocity in the sural nerve. Furthermore, those with higher SD-HbA1c had higher composite scores of low extremities. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that diabetes duration, SD-HbA1c, and eGFR were independently associated with mean composite scores. Based on our results, HbA1c variability plus chronic glycemic impairment is strongly associated with the severity of peripheral neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. Aggressively control blood glucose to an acceptable range and avoid blood glucose fluctuations by individualized treatment to prevent further nerve damage.