[Importance of the determination of fructosamine in monitoring diabetic patients]. / Importanza del dosaggio della fruttosamina nel monitoraggio dei pazienti diabetici.

Protein glycosylation plays a role in the metabolic control and in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications; indeed it has an important role in the process leading to micro- and macroangiography in diabetes. In an attempt to determine the clinical value of fructosamine assay for monitoring type II diabetic patients, the correlation of fructosamine and HbA1c, glycemia, cholesterol and triglycerides was studied. The results show that fructosamine is a good index for short-term metabolic control of diabetic patients.

[Clinical use of growth hormone and clonidine in growth disorders]. / Uso clinico di ormone della crescita e di clonidina nei difetti di accrescimento.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the recombinant human growth hormone and of the alpha-2 adrenergic agonist clonidine in three groups of prepuberal children with growth disorders. Three children with GH-deficiency were treated with 0.5 U kg/week i.m. of recombinant growth hormone; 13 children (7 with constitutional delay of growth and 6 with familiar short stature) were treated with 0.08 mg/m2/die per os of clonidine. The results confirmed the growth promoting effect of GH in GH-deficiency. Clonidine restored GH-secretion in children with constitutional delay, but had a very poor or no effect in familiar short children.