The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between fasting serum leptin, adiponectin and resistin levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in osteoporosis patients and a non-osteoporosis control group. We studied 81 non-diabetic osteoporosis patients (92 % female, 8 % male; mean age 54.5 ± 15.5 years and body mass index [BMI] 28.2 ± 4.6) and 120 non-diabetic individuals with normal BMD as controls (86 % female, 14 % male; mean age 39.7 ± 10.4 years and BMI 28.8 ± 4.4). BMD was studied by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry from the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and femoral neck and fasting blood samples were taken for biochemical measurement of fasting blood glucose, leptin, adiponectin and resistin. Fasting levels of plasma adiponectin had a significant negative correlation with BMD of the femoral neck and lumbar spine in the osteoporosis group (r = -0.478, P = 0.003, r = -0.513, P = 0.023) but not in the non-osteoporosis group (r = -0.158, P = 0.057, r = -0.23, P = 0.465). Fasting plasma levels of resistin were significantly correlated only with femur BMD in the osteoporosis group, and not significantly correlated with lumbar spine BMD (r = -0.244, P = 0.048 vs r = 0.276, P = 0.56). Leptin did not have a significant correlation with BMD in either the osteoporosis or non-osteoporosis groups (P > 0.05). Adiponectin had a significant negative correlation with BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck. The correlation between leptin and resistin are not inconclusive.

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This study tests the hypothesis that subjects with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) have a detectable rise in levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is an important regulator of angiogenesis. Our investigation aims to evaluate plasma VEGF changes after pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) in diabetic patients. Twenty-nine type two diabetic patients (17 male, 12 female: mean age 53.13±12.22 years) with PDR secondary to diabetes were studied. Blood samples were obtained before and at 2 months after the last PRP session. Serum VEGF levels were measured by ELISA. After PRP, the mean serum VEGF decreased, but this reduction was not remarkable (88.68±71.09 vs. 77.01±60.33 ng/ml) (P=0.18). There was a statistically significant difference in serum VEGF changes between patients who had regressed PDR with patients who had progressed PDR (-25.98±47.37 vs. 56.44±31.7 ng/ml) (P=0.003). Our results showed a significant reduction in levels of serum VEGF in the patients who had successful laser treatment. Our findings suggest that serum VEGF levels could be used for monitoring diabetic retinopathy outcome.

Objective: Obesity is a factor in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Obesity contributes a wide variety of metabolic changes such as insulin resistance. The insulin signal mechanism to intra-cells occurs in insulin resistance, primarily in adipose tissue cells, which can be appropriate targets for therapeutic approaches by recognizing the proteins in this pathway. The study aimed to evaluate the simultaneous impact of metformin and sitagliptin on the expression of protein levels involved in insulin resistance Protein Kinase B (Akt) and Glucose Transporter 4 (GLUT4) in diabetic adipose tissue. Materials and Methods: In order to evaluate the content of proteins involved in insulin resistance Akt and GLUT4 in adipose tissue of diabetic patients with the use of SDS-PAGE and western blot analyses, we studied 6 persons of type 2 diabetic patients who obtained 3 months of care with simultaneous metformin and sitagliptin, 4 persons returned from them after treatment and 8 persons as a stable case (control group). Results: There was an increase in glucose intake and a decrease in serum glucose levels (P-value= 0.025) and no decrease in insulin resistance (P-value= 0.6) following simultaneous metformin and sitagliptin therapy, but no improvement in serum insulin levels (Pvalue=1.01). Increases in the content of Akt protein (P-value= 0.682) and GLUT4 protein (P-value= 0.851) involved in insulin resistance in diabetic patients' adipose tissue, were not observed. Conclusion: Simultaneous treatment with metformin and sitagliptin had no effect on insulin resistance proteins Akt and GLUT4 in type 2 diabetic adipose tissue.

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