Study of bone turnover markers, procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide and osteocalcin in healthy and type 2 diabetes mellitus postmenopausal women

Background: Individuals with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk of metabolic bone disease due to decrease in bone strength and quality. Several bone turnover markers like serum procollagen type I N propeptide (P1NP) and serum osteocalcin are powerful tools for studying osteoporosis and fracture risk across population to provide diagnostic and prognostic information of bone health. The aim of this study was to recognize possible correlation of levels of serum P1NP and osteocalcin in type-2 diabetic (T2DM) postmenopausal women as compared to healthy postmenopausal women.Methods: The study included 100 proven cases of type-2 diabetic postmenopausal women with age matched healthy postmenopausal women as controls. P1NP, osteocalcin, and other relevant parameters were measured. Differences between diabetics and controls were analyzed.Results: The body mass index was higher in diabetic group as compared to controls. The HbA1c% was (6.94±1.43) in diabetic group and (5.57±1.21) in non-diabetics. Low serum level of 25 (OH) D was observed both in diabetic and non-diabetic groups but significantly lower in T2DM. Procollagen type 1 N propeptide was lower in diabetic group (37.59±17.20 ng/mL) as compared to non-diabetic (52.14±24.82 ng/mL). Osteocalcin was lower (15.64±8.06 ng/ml) as compared to non-diabetic group (21.85±9.12 ng/ml). Lower osteocalcin and P1NP levels found in this study suggests slower bone metabolism with reduced bone formation in postmenopausal diabetics.Conclusions: Serum procollagen type 1 N propeptide and osteocalcin in postmenopausal diabetic women were lower as compared to non-diabetic group.

Correlation of High Sensitive C-reactive Protein levels with Mean Arterial Pressure and Serum Calcium in Women with Mild and Severe Pre-eclampsia

Aim:To compare the mean results of serum levels of hs-CRP and calcium in mild and severe pre-eclamptic women with healthy pregnant women and to investigate the relationship, if any between levels of serum hs-CRP with mean arterial pressure (MAP) and serum calcium. Material and Methods:A case control study was performed on 50-50 primigravidas with mild and severe PE as cases as per clinical guidelines and 50 healthy pregnant women as controls. They were all age and parity matched primigravidas at the third trimester of pregnancy. Results:By using ANOVA, statistically highly significant mean values of hs-CRP and serum calcium were observed among all groups (healthy pregnant women, mild pre-eclamptic and severe pre-eclamptic women). Significant positive correlation is found between hs-CRP with MAP, while the negative association is detected among hs-CRP and serum calcium.Conclusion:Serum hs-CRP may be feasible to be used as a sensitive biomarker for determining women at risk of PE. There is a significant influence of calcium supplementation during the antenatal period and the occurrence of pregnancy induced hypertension.

Antimicrobial activity and identification of potential antimicrobial compounds from aquatic pteridophyte, Azolla microphylla Kaulf.

Azolla microphylla Kaulf. is an aquatic nitrogen fixing pteridophyte commonly found in aquatic habitats including paddy fields. Methanolic extract of the fronds of A. microphylla was subjected to partial purification by solvent partitioning with diethyl ether and ethyl acetate followed by hydrolysis, and further partitioning with ethyl acetate. The two fractions, thus obtained were tested for antibacterial activity. It was observed that the ethyl acetate fraction inhibited the growth of the pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae. The GC-MS analysis of the ethyl acetate fraction showed several prominent peaks with retention time ranging from 8.83 to 45.54 min. A comparison of these peaks with the GC-MS libraries revealed that it could be eicosenes and heptadecanes with potential of antimicrobial activity.

Association Between Indexes of Insulin Sensitivity/ Resistance and Serum Magnesium Levels in Overweight Diabetic Subjects.

Objective: To study the association of serum magnesium level and indexes of insulin sensitivity/resistance in overweight diabetic subjects and evaluate the relationship of serum magnesium level with body mass index (BMI) in overweight diabetic subjects. Study design: This case-control study was conducted on 50 overweight type 2 diabetic patients. The overweight diabetic subjects were defined as (BMI ≥ 25.0-30.0 kg/m2) according to the criteria of World Health Organization (WHO), 2004. Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus was made according to the criteria recommended by the American Diabetes Association standards - 2012. Material and methods: The study was conducted on 50 overweight type 2 diabetic patients of either gender attending/admitted in OPD/wards of the Dept. of General Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Associated Group of Hospitals, Ajmer, Rajasthan over a period of 12 months. Results: In overweight diabetic subjects, serum magnesium level were found to be low, HOMA-IR was high and QUICKI values was found to be low in comparison to normal weight nondiabetics. Serum magnesium significantly inversely correlated with BMI, plasma glucose, HbA1C, serum insulin, HOMA-IR and a positive correlation of serum magnesium with QUICKI (overweight subjects) was found in our study. Conclusion: Poor glycemic control in hypomagnesemia patients has been observed in the present study when compared with normomagnesemia patients. Hypomagnesemia may aggravate insulin resistance state in overweight subjects. This can predispose them to metabolic complication of diabetes mellitus.

Comparison of oral versus intravenous iron therapy in predialysis patients of chronic renal failure receiving recombinant human erythropoietin.

OBJECTIVES: To compare oral versus intravenous iron in pre-dialysis patients of chronic renal failure (CRF) receiving recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO). METHODS: The study was undertaken in 40 adult patients of chronic renal failure. The patients were randomly divided into two groups A and B of 20 patients each. Group A patients were given oral iron and group B patients were given intravenous iron. All patients in both groups were given recombinant human erythropoietin 2000 IU twice weekly subcutaneously. The study was carried for up to three months. Patients were monitored every month for renal parameters and haematological parameters which included haemoglobin, reticulocyte count and packed cell volume. Ferrokinetic studies were done at baseline and at three months. RESULTS: It was observed that haematological parameters showed significant statistical improvement in the intravenous iron group as compared to group A (oral iron group). The ferrokinetic studies revealed that serum iron, serum ferritin and transferrin saturation, decreased significantly in oral iron group, whereas significant increase was seen in group B (intravenous iron group). None of the patients developed any adverse effects because of erythropoietin or iron therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant use of intravenous iron is better than oral iron in CRF patients treated with rHuEPO. The intravenous route of iron administration may be a preferred route along with rHuEPO therapy, more so in the Indian context where prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia is fairly high.