[Comparison of the efficiency of rhinomanometry and E.N.T examination in diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome]

Considering the high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [OSAS] and its complications, proper diagnosis and treatment is particularly important. Since the standard diagnostic test for OSAS is polysomnography, which is not widely available, finding a simple, available, and cheap diagnostic method is very helpful. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of anterior rhinomanometry and upper respiratory tract examination in diagnosis of the OSAS. In this observational analytic study, all patients referred to BAMDAD sleep clinic for polysomnography from Feb 2007 to Jul 2007 were evaluated by anterior rhinomanometry as well as upper respiratory tract examination and results were compared with each other. Of 66 patients participated in our study, 31 patients were in the normal group, 19 in mild apnea group, and 16 in moderate to severe apnea group. The results of ENT examination showed clear obstruction in 22 patients. 12 of them were in moderate to severe apnea group, and 9 of them in mild apnea group. Only one patient with abnormal examination was in the normal group. The respiratory tract resistance which was measured by anterior rhinomanometry showed no significant association with positive results of polysomnography. Our study showed that although anterior rhinomanometry is invalid for diagnosis of OSAS, ENT examination [such as noctural oxymetry] can be a useful diagnostic method for OSAS

[Evaluation of alveolar basement membrane function in the diabetes mellitus patients]

The thickening of alveolar basement membrane is found in autopsies, along with microvascular pathologies, in type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus [DM]. To detect the function and permeability of alveolar basement membrane carbon monoxide diffusion capacity [DLCO] can be used. The aim of this study was to determine alveolar basement membrane damage using this method. In this descriptive and analytical study, fifty five women and 15 men, nonsmoking, type 2 DM cases, without any lung and / or heart disease who had neither anemia nor renal failure and no respiratory symptoms, made up the patients group. They were compared with 55 female and 15 male healthy cases who had the same characteristics as the diabetes cases. For all of the cases who had normal spirometry, DLCO were measured by single- breath method. Data were analyzed using t-student test. The amounts of measured DLCO in the patients with diabetes and in the control group were 9.65 +/- 2.4 and 9.1 +/- 1.79 milimlo/min/kilopascal, respectively [P>0.05]. Also, there was no significant relationship between the volume corrected transfer factor in the patients and the control group. DLCO was not reduced in patients with diabetes without complication who had no clinical respiratory symptoms. We can use DLCO as indicator of microangiopathy in diabetic patients