Placental alkaline phosphatase activity and its relation to foetal growth and nutrition in appropriate and small for gestational age newborns at term

The placental alkaline phosphatase [PAP] activity progressively rises as pregnancy advances, possibly, because of its increasing synthesis by placental tissue. The present study examined the relationship between placental alkaline phosphatase activity and the biochemical indices of foetal nutrition [cord blood glucose, albumin] and growth [neonatal birth weight]. Placental and umbilical cord blood samples were collected from 56 term deliveries 30 of them were appropriate for gestational age [AGA] and 26 were small for gestational age [SGA] and prepared for placental alkaline phosphatase assay, glucose and albumin estimations using standard procedures. The birth weights of the neonates at term were taken and recorded. Correlation analyses of the data obtained show significant positive relationships between PAP and cord blood glucose, albumin and birth weight in AGA newborn [r[2] = 0.86, 0.71, 0.68 p<0.05] and [r[2] = 0.69, 0.81, 0.73 p<0.05] in SGA newborn but no significant relationship with gestational age, also there was significant statistical difference between both groups in level of PAP, glucose and albumin

Influence of serum cortisol levels on glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes

The association between plasma glucose [PG], HbAlc and serum cortisol levels in children with type 1 diabetes was investigated to determine the influence of serum cortisol on their glycemic control. A total of 45 children, aged 10-15 years, with type 1 diabetes for at least 3 years of diabetes were studied. Most of them did not have pancreatic beta-cell function. The cortisol levels among all patients were stratified according to fasting plasma glucose levels [50-99, 100-199, 200-299, and >/= 300mg/dL], and the HbAlc levels [<7.0, 7.0-7.9, 8.0-8.9, and >/= 9%]. The mean fasting PG, HbAlc and serum cortisol levels were 174 +/- 97mg/dL, 7.7 +/- 1.3% and 23.04 +/- 16.6 ug/dl, respectively. The cortisol levels were highly correlated with PG levels [r =0.553, P<0.0001] and mildly correlated with HbAlc levels [r = 0.301, P =0.0192]. Patients with high PG levels gave significantly higher cortisol levels as compared to those with lower PG levels [18.4 +/- 7.3, 26.8 +/- 18.3, 31.4 +/- 17.0 and 36.3 +/- 17.2ug/dl, P =0.0009]. There were no significant differences in serum cortisol levels among patients stratified according to HbAlc levels [P = 0.1566], however, patients with HbAlc levels >/= 9% had significantly higher cortisol levels than those with HbAlc levels <7% [32.6 +/- 14.4 vs. 21.8 +/- 11.3ug/dl,P=0.0291]