Prediabetes is more than a pre-disease: additional evidences supporting the importance of its early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

AIM: To identify Prediabetes (PreD) as early and serious diabetes step using clinical-biochemical characteristics in the population of the Primary Prevention Diabetes Buenos Aires (PPDBA) study. METHODS: PPDBA Study evaluated benefits of adopting healthy lifestyles to prevent T2D. It recruited people 45-75 years of age with PreD (impaired fasting glycaemia [IFG], impaired glucose tolerance [IGT] or both, American Diabetes Association criteria), using an opportunistic approach. They completed a FINDRISC questionnaire, and those with a score ≥13 points were invited to participate. When they accepted, we performed an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with a complete lipid profile and HbA1c while physicians completed a clinical history. We recruited 367 persons, and depending on OGTT results, the sample was divided into normals (NGT), PreD, or with diabetes (last one was excluded in our analysis). Data were statistically analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests and logistic regression to identify parameters associated with PreD. RESULTS: From the recruited (n = 367) 47.7% have NGT, 48.5% PreD and 3.8% unknown T2D (excluded). People with PreD were significantly older, with a higher percentage of overweight/obesity, BMI, and larger waist circumference than NGT. They also showed significantly higher fasting and 2 h post glucose load, HbA1c, and triglyceride levels. No significant differences were recorded in the blood pressure, lipid profile though both groups had abnormally high LDL-c values. They also had a larger percentage of TG/HDL-c ratios (insulin resistance indicator) (55% vs. 37.5%). Logistic regression analysis showed that PreD was significant associated with age, waist circumference, and triglyceride above target values. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that clinical and biochemical parameters were significantly different between people with PreD and those with NGT. This evidence supports the concept that PreD is a serious dysfunction, which should be early diagnosed and treated properly to prevent its transition to T2D and its complications.

miRNA-205-5p can be related to T2-polarity in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps.

BACKGROUND: microRNAs (miRNAs) are directly associated with inflammatory response, but their direct role in CRSwNP (chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps) remains evasive. This study aimed to compare the expression of several miRNAs in tissue samples obtained from patients with CRSwNP and controls and to evaluate if miRNAs correlate to a specific inflammatory pattern (T1, T2, T17, and Treg) or intensity of symptoms in CRSwNP. METHODS: nasal polyps (from patients with CRSwNP - n=36) and middle turbinate mucosa (from control patients - n=41) were collected. Microarray determined human mature miRNA expression, and the results obtained were validated by qPCR. miRNAs that were differentially expressed were then correlated to cytokine proteins (by Luminex), tissue eosinophilia, and SNOT-22. RESULTS: After microarray and qPCR analyses, six microRNAs were up-regulated in CRSwNP samples when compared with controls: miR-205-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-222-3p, miR-378a-3p, miR-449a and miR-449b-5p. All these miRNAs are directly implicated with cell cycle regulation and apoptosis, and to a minor extent, with inflammation. Importantly, miR-205-5p showed a significantly positive correlation with IL-5 concentration and eosinophil count at the tissue and with the worst SNOT-22 score. CONCLUSIONS: miRNA 205-5p was increased in CRSwNP compared to controls, and it was especially expressed in CRSwNP patients with higher T2 inflammation (measured by both IL-5 levels and local eosinophilia) and worst clinical presentation. This miRNA may be an interesting target to be explored in patients with CRSwNP.

Serum creatine kinase isoenzyme MB activity: evaluation of a kit employing agarose-gel electrophoresis with overlay paper fluorescence scanning.

A commercial kit for determining serum creatine kinase isoenzyme MB activity was evaluated. The kit employed agarose-gel electrophoresis followed by incubation of overlay paper on the agarose and then fluorescnece scanning of the paper. Within-day coefficients of variation ranged from 24.9% for a specimen with no elevation of MB activity of 6.6% for a specimen with moderately elevated MB activity. The kit appeared to demonstrate MB in all sera and showed higher than expected values in recovery studies. The kit performed in a relatively linear fashion from 50 to 500 I.U./l total creatine kinase activity. Hemolysis appeared to lower measured MB. For comparison with another method, specimens were also analyzed by microcolumn chromatography, which was found to incompletely separate isoenzymes. The kit produced lower values than microchromatography for specimens with low MB activities and higher values for specimens with elevated MB activities. Patients without corroborative evidence of myocardial injury showed a somewhat hyperbolic relationship between per cent MB and total creatine kinase activity, but MB activity was generally 4 I.U./l or less. Although the kit had serious laboratory shortcomings, it may be as clinically useful as other methodologies.