Effect of chromium deficiency and supplementation on some aspects of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in male albino rats

In this work, thirty adult male albino rats were used to study the effect of chromium deficiency and supplementation on carbohydrates and lipid metabolism. Rats were divided into three equal groups control, chromium deficient and chromium supplemented. Rats of the first group were fed on normal diet, rats of the second group were fed on a chromium deficient diet. Rats of the third group were fed on the same chromium deficient diet but were supplemented with oral chromium picolinate [90 |-l micro gm / kg body weight] daily for forty five days. At the end of the experimental period [45 days] plasma glucose, insulin serum triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL and HDL were determined. The study showed that chromium deficiency led to a significant increase in plasma glucose level, and insulin with insignificant changes in serum triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL and LDL as compared to control group. The study showed also that chromium supplementation led to an insignificant increase in serum glucose and insulin with significant decrease in serum triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL and a significant increase in serum HDL

discriminative ability of percent free psa in patients with PSA > 10 ng/ml

Objective: To study the discriminative role of % free PSA in patients with a total PSA > 10 ng/ml

Patients and Methods: Our patient cohort con-sisted of 90 males aged between 45 and 81 years [mean age: 67 +/- 9 years]. All patients had a biopsy-proven prostate pathology. Fifty-six patients had BPH [Group I] while 34 had prostate cancer [Group II]. Blood samples were collected from all patients, and total PSA, free PSA and % free PSA were calculated in all specimens. Total PSA was measured using the Imx assay [Abbott, USA]. The significance of the differences between the groups was assessed by the Mann-Whitney Wilcoxon rank sum test and Spearman's correlation coefficient for the correlation between % free PSA and the pathological diagnosis

Results: The difference in total PSA between the two groups was insignificant. The mean value in BPH patients was 11.7 +/- 11.4 ng/ml, while in patients with prostate cancer its was 15.8 +/- 19.2 [p = 0.8]. The mean % free PSA was 18 +/- 1% in patients with BPH and 16 +/- 0.6% in patients with prostate cancer [p = 0.3]. A strong correlation was evident between % free PSA 15% and the pathological diagnosis [p = 0.87]. This was also true for the cutoff values of 20% and 25% [p=0.79 and 0.62, respectively]

Conclusion: As a diagnostic test, % free PSA alone cannot be used for the discrimination of BPH from prostate cancer. In patients with a total PSA > 10 ng/ml, % free PSA has no value in the discrimination between benign and malignant pathology

Cutaneous changes in diabetic foot lesion: clinicopathological study and ultrastructural changes in peripheral nerves

Forty five diabetic patients were submitted to this study. They were allocated into 2 groups: Group A comprised 30 patients with diabetic foot lesion [DFL], and group B included 15 diabetic patients without DFL as a control group. A skin biopsy from the edge of the lesion in group A and from medial border of the foot in group B were obtained. There was no significant difference between the incidence of hyperkeratosis, thick collagen, nerve lesion or vascular lesion in group A cases. However, there was high significant difference between group A and B in the incidence of cutaneous changes. Consequently, cases of group B with hyperkeratosis, thick collagen, neuropathy and vascular lesion would be considered at risk to develop DFL