Correlations between C-reactive protein as an inflammatory component of atherosclerotic process and variable lipid parameters in type 2 diabetic and hyperlipidemic patients

The study aimed to prove any correlations between CRP and different lipid parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. The study was conducted on 210 subjects, that were subdivided into three groups [Diabetic group, hyperlipidemic group, appearently healthy controls], each was 70 in number. Measuring of different parameters [serum concentrations of CRP, TC. HDL-C and LDL-C], were done according to standardized enzymatic assay methods. A positive correlations between CRP serum concentrations and that of TC [r = 0.37 and 0.38, P<0.05] and LDL-C [r = 0.39 and 0.35, P<0.05] respectivly in diabetic and hyperlipidemic male patients and the same results in female patients, and an inverse relationship was obtained between CRP serum levels and HDL-C serum concentrations in the diabetic and hyperlipidemic male patients, but statistically was non-significant. Serum CRP concentrations of diabetic and hyperlipidemic patients were significanty higher in both males and females than normal controls. This increase in CRP coincides a significant increase in TC, TG and LDL-C. These results may reflect that a variety of features of the metabolic syndrome are associated with a systemic inflammatory response. The higher CRP concentration in serum could reflect the inflammatory component of the atherosclerotic process that is so prelevant among patients with diabetes and hyperlipidemia

Acut organ failure in septic patients with or without shock

Sepsis and septic shock are life threatening complications of infections with a high incidence and mortality rates. Death is strongly related to types and number of systems failure, beside other risk factors. Aiming to identify the incidence of acute organ failure in relation to presence or absence of shock, retrospective evaluation was done for 170 patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit in a seven months period during 2005-2006. Patients with septic shock had a significantly higher age, APACHE II score [31.39 +/- 09.76 versus 18.6 +/- 5.73, P<0.005], SOFA score [8.42 +/- 3.70 versus 3.73 +/- 2.36, p< 0.0005], and a higher mortality rate [67.08% versus 25.27%, p< 0.0005] compared to those with severe sepsis. The percentage of acute organ failure in septic patients with shock versus those without shock was: pulmonary [86.83% versus 51.65%], renal [59.49% vr 23.07%, P<0.005], hepatic [49.37% vr 25.27%, P<0.005], haematological [54.43% vr 30.77%, P<0.005] and central nervous system [13.92% vr 10.98%, P=NS] respectively. Septic shock patients were more likely to have significantly higher mean SOFA score and a higher mortality rate than non-shocked cases. Mortality increases significantly with age, APACHE II and SOFA scores