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Background. Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease and the acute clinical manifestations represent acute on chronic inflammation. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is found in the granules of human neutrophils, with many diverse functions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that levels NGAL in blood may reflect the inflammatory process in various stages of coronary artery disease. Methods. We studied 140 patients, with SA 40, UA 35, NSTEMI 40, and STEMI 25, and 20 healthy controls. Serum NGAL was measured upon admission and before coronary angiography. Results. Significant differences were observed in median serum-NGAL(ng/mL) between patients with SA (79.23 (IQR, 37.50–100.32)), when compared with UA (108.00 (68.34–177.59)), NSTEMI (166.49 (109.24–247.20)), and STEMI (178.63 (111.18–305.92)) patients and controls (50.31 (44.30–69.78)) with significant incremental value from SA to STEMI. We observed a positive and significant correlation between serum-NGAL and hs-CRP (spearman coefficient rho = 0.685, P < 0.0001) as well as with neutrophil counts (r = 0.511, P < 0.0001). Conclusions. In patients with coronary artery disease serum levels of NGAL increase and reflect the degree of inflammatory process. In patients with acute coronary syndromes, serum levels of NGAL have high negative predictive value and reflecting the inflammatory status could show the severity of coronary clinical syndrome.

Our results establish for the first time a strong correlation between MBG and HbA(1c) in Type 2 diabetic patients and support the idea of expressing HbA(1c) results as MBG. This will help patients to gain a clearer interpretation of the result, with less confusion. This simplification will allow every person with diabetes using home glucose-monitoring to understand his or her own target level.

The presence of ketonemia was significantly lower than the presence of ketonuria. Weight loss per week was the only independent factor found to be associated with increased levels of 3HB. The clinical significance of this small increase requires further investigation.

This study shows that sAlb levels might change during the first days after an acute IS, but these changes although statistically significant are not clinically significant if we take into account the analytical and biological variation of sAlb.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains incompletely understood and increases the risk of developing Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2). Metabolomics provides insights etiology and pathogenesis of disease and discovery biomarkers for accurate detection. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a key platform defining metabolic signatures in intact serum/plasma. In the present study, we used NMR-based analysis of macromolecules free-serum to accurately characterize the altered metabolic pathways of GDM and assessing their similarities to DM2. Our findings could contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of GDM and help in the identification of metabolomic markers of the disease. Methods: Sixty-two women with GDM matched with seventy-seven women without GDM (control group). 1H NMR serum spectra were acquired on an 11.7 T Bruker Avance DRX NMR spectrometer. Results: We identified 55 metabolites in both groups, 25 of which were significantly altered in the GDM group. GDM group showed elevated levels of ketone bodies, 2-hydroxybutyrate and of some metabolic intermediates of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and significantly lower levels of metabolites of one-carbon metabolism, energy production, purine metabolism, certain amino acids, 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate, ornithine, 2-aminobutyrate, taurine and trimethylamine N-oxide. Conclusion: Metabolic pathways affected in GDM were beta-oxidation, ketone bodies metabolism, one-carbon metabolism, arginine and ornithine metabolism likewise in DM2, whereas BCAAs catabolism and aromatic amino acids metabolism were affected, but otherwise than in DM2.

In this issue of Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, Baumstark et al. evaluated the analytical performance of a bench-top laboratory glucose analyzer (SUPER-GL) intended for replacement for the YSI2300-STAT analyzer, that served for several decades as a comparator method in clinical and analytical studies of blood glucose monitoring systems (BGMS). The authors concluded that the SUPER-GL’s overall performance is comparable to that of YSI2300-STAT, and has the potential to be a candidate comparator analyzer. However, the question is if we need to recommend as a “comparator method,” a specific device, that measure glucose using the same analytical method with most BGMS. In this analysis we present our point of view hoping to generate a discussion on the necessity for such a replacement.

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