[Experience with the Czechoslovak-made analysis system for diabetes self-monitoring]. / Zkusenosti s cs. analytickým systémem pro sebekontrolu diabetiku.

The authors tested the Czechoslovak analytical system for the self-control of diabetics involving diagnostic strips of melliPHAN reflo and the compensating glucometer Remat GU. For testing diagnostic strips and the glucometer from the first regular batch distributed to health institutions were used. The Czechoslovak system was compared with a similar system of Ames Co. and the enzymatic photometric method for glucose estimation. The Czechoslovak system is suitable for self-control of diabetics and provides satisfactory results in the range of blood sugar levels between 10 and 20 mmol/l. It overestimates results in the range of the reference interval and in the area of euglycaemia. The authors recommend to change the system of two-point calibration of the glucometer and to shift values of the calibration wedges in the direction towards the interval between 5 and 15 mmol/l.

[Personal experience with infrared spectrometry analysis of urinary calculi]. / Nase zkusenosti s infracervenou spektrometrickou analýzou mocových konkrementu.

Analysis of urinary concrements has a very important place in clinical biochemistry departments, as it is one of the basic prerequisites for effective causal therapy and prophylaxis of nephrolithiasis. Qualitative chemical reactions, used most frequently, have shortcomings as regards the identification of components of calculi and do not provide a real idea on the composition of calculi (9). An accurate identification can be made only by physical methods, which, however, call for very expensive equipment. Clinical departments in Prague, Brno and Ostrava collaborate therefore with research institutes which possess the necessary equipment and where the analyses of calculi are made. Because the majority of clinical biochemical departments have limited access to modern infrared computer controlled spectrometers, this form of collaboration was used also in the authors' department.

Use of N-methyl-D-glucamine as buffer in the determination of serum alkaline phosphatase activity.

We describe a method for determining serum alkaline phosphatase activity with use of N-methyl-D-glucamine buffer, Na+ is a definite activator, whereas NH4+ and Li+ inhibit enzyme activity. Optimum reaction conditions are: methylglucamine buffer, 0.35 mol/L, pH 10.2 +/- 0.1 (30 degrees C); NaCl, 70 mmol/L; MgCl2, 0.5 mmol/L; disodium 4-nitrophenyl phosphate, 15 mmol/L; reaction temperature, 30 degrees C; reaction time, 2 min. The assay conditions are optimum for all human serum isoenzymes.

Assay of serum free fatty acids by extraction-photometric procedure.

Reaction conditions for extraction-photometric determination of free fatty acids in serum were studied. The results were found to be influenced by (a) sodium chloride concentration in the copper reagent, (b) the kind of standard solution used, (c) centrifugation of the reaction mixture and (d) serum phospholipids. A micromethod based on the formation of free fatty acids-copper soaps with a stable copper reagent and sensitive indicator for copper, 2-(2-thiazolylazo)-4-methoxyphenol, is described.