Diabetes is associated with a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) which are considered as an index of endogenous lipid peroxidation. The human body has a complex antioxidant defense system that prevents the initiation of free radical chain reactions. We measured plasma TBARS levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and compared their relation to the metabolic control of diabetes and diabetic microangiopathy. Sixty-four patients (19 men), aged 52.35+/-9.31 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in the study. Thirty-six healthy subjects (12 men), aged 51.02+/-7.01 years formed the control group. TBARS levels and SOD activity were elevated in the diabetic group when compared with the control group ( p<0.001 and p<0.00001, respectively). However CAT activity was significantly decreased in the diabetic group when compared with the control group ( p<0.00001). Patients with diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy, but not neuropathy, had elevated TBARS levels but there was no statistically significant difference when compared with diabetic patients without microangiopathy ( p>0.05). There was a positive correlation between plasma TBARS levels and SOD activity (r=0.770, p=0.0001) and a negative correlation between plasma TBARS levels and CAT activity (r=0.482, p=0.0001). There was also a negative correlation between SOD and CAT activities (r=-0.609, p=0.0001). We found significantly elevated TBARS levels in diabetic patients. We did not observe any correlation between TBARS levels and blood glucose and HbA(1c) levels. Elevated TBARS levels and SOD activity and decreased CAT activity may be due to a compensation mechanism of the body.
Bone marrow aspirations and biopsies are now employed in the investigation of many disorders in haematology, oncology, and internal medicine. In this paper, clinical, laboratory, and pathological findings are presented of patients with bone marrow metastases of solid tumours (n = 6). Anemia was detected in four cases (66.6%), thrombocytopenia in five cases (83.3%), leukopenia in three cases (50%), diffuse bone pain in four cases (66.6%), elevated serum alkaline phosphatase levels in four cases (66.6%). and hypercalcaemia in two cases (33.3%). In conclusion, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy examinations are effective, practical, and cheap in detecting solid tumour metastasis to bone marrow in a selected group of patients.
The objective of this study was to evaluate hemodynamic variables in arteriovenous fistulas by color Doppler ultrasonography. This study involved 28 patients with chronic renal failure who were sent to surgery clinic for creation of an arteriovenous fistula of the Brescia-Cimino type. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and on the first and seventh days postoperatively by a color Doppler ultrasound machine with a 7.5 MHz linear probe. The distal radial artery was examined preoperatively and the fistula itself postoperatively. Changes in the fistula size and the velocity, volume, and resistive index of the distal radial artery were recorded. Postoperatively the radial artery diameter, systolic flow rates, and volume flow had increased significantly, especially on the first day, in comparison to preoperative values. Resistive index values has decreased significantly at both the first and the seventh days postoperatively. Color Doppler ultrasonography is a very effective method in the evaluation of hemodynamics of arteriovenous fistulas in hemodialysis patients. It will allow an understanding of the pathology in nonfunctioning fistulas or of the cause of complications that develop secondarily.
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