C-peptide and glycaemic state in obese and non-obese type II diabetes

This study was carried out on 60 obese patients with type II diabetes and 57 non-obese patients with type II diabetes. Estimation of body mass index was significantly higher in group I [31. +/- 3.3 kg/m[2]] than in group II [22.8 +/- 3 kg/m[2]]. Studying of the glycaemic state in both groups by measuring fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin did not reveal any significant changes. While estimation of plasma C-peptide level showed significantly higher level in group I [3.37 +/- 1.5 ng/ml] than in group II [2.25. +/- 1.3 ng/ml]. This increase in plasma C-peptide in group 1 is explained by the presence of insulin resistance in obese patients. Discussion of etiology of these results is mentioned

Scintigraphic study of patients with hyperthyroidism before and after radioactive iodine therapy

This study was carried out on 20 patients with hyperthyroidism. The diagnosis was based on clinical, laboratory, isotopic study and thyroid scan. Thyroid scanning was done at two stages; one before radioactive iodine therapy and one 6 months after treatment. Thyroid scintigraphy before treatment revealed that 16 patients had Gravs' disease [80%] and four patients had toxic nodular goiter [20%]; two patients had hot nodules and two had toxic multinodular goiter. It was useful for calculating the dose of radioactive iodine as it helps in estimation of gland size. After treatment 19 patients showed normal trace uptake accumulation, while one patient still had an increase trace uptake indicating persistent hyperthyroid scintigraphic picture and this was confirmed by clinical manifestations and laboratory tests. Two patients with normal trace uptake had hypothyroid manifestations as confirmed by clinical and laboratory findings. Accordingly, our conclusion is that thyroid scintigraphy is a helpful tool for diagnosis, verification of the type of hyperthyroidism and for estimation of the therapeutic dose of radioactive iodine but not for follow up after treatment

Thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin in hyperthyroidism

This study was carried out on 20 patients with hyperthyroidism. The diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was based on clinical, biochemical and isotopic studies. Sixteen patients were diagnosed as Gravs' disease and four patients as toxic nodular goiter [two had solitary hot nodule and two had multinodular goiter], Thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin estimation revealed normal levels in all patients with toxic nodular goiter; while-13-patients [81%] with Gravs' disease showed high level of thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin. Six months after radioactive iodine therapy, all patients with previously high levels of thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin showed reduction in their serum levels to reach a normal value in 6 of them [46%] and levels above normal range in 7 [54%]. This finding suggests that radioactive iodine therapy may have an immunoregulatory effect in cases of Gravs' disease

Echocardiography in the aged

Forty healthy elderly male subjects aged 60 to 75 years were included in this work. Ten healthy volunteers aged 20 to 30 years were taken as a control group. All the subjects were selected to be free from any cardiopulmonary disease. Echocardiography was performed to all the subjects. Simultaneous E.C.G. was recorded with the echo tracing. Echocardiographic data were then analysed and discussed

Effect of age on systolic time intervals

Ninety healthy male subjects were chosen to represent different age groups namely, young, adult and elderly groups. They were selected to be free from any cardiopulmonary disease. Systolic time intervals by carotid pulse tracing were performed to all the subjects. Results showed insignificant prolongation of the systolic time intervals as age progresses