Influence of C-reactive protein on the occurrence and assessing of albuminuria severity in diabetics.

Aim To asses relation of serum high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level with albumin concentration in daily urine in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM). Methods The prospective study included 69 patients with T2DM, both sexes (24 males, 45 females), aged 30-82 years. They were divided into two groups: patients with T2DM and normoalbuminuria(T2DM-NA; n=40) and patients with T2DM and microalbuminuria (T2DM-MA; n=29). Patients were hospitalized at the Department of Internal Medicine, Cantonal Hospital Zenica, in the period January-April 2014. Immunonephelometry measurement of hsCRP was performed on the Nephelometer Analyzer BN II (Siemens, Germany). Results Frequency of patients in T2DM-NA and T2DM-MA groups was not significantly different in relation to sex and age. There was significant difference in relation to duration of diabetes ( p=0.001). Average glucose and HbA1c levels were significantly higher in T2DM-NA group comparing to T2DM-MA group (p=0.008 and p=0.047, respectively). Serum creatinine (p=0.011),urea (p=0.009) and hsCRP (p=0.005) were significantly higher in T2DM-MA group compared to T2DM-NA group. Urinary albumin showed significantly positive correlation with the hsCRP (rho=0.286; p=0.017), urea (rho=0.503) and creatinine (rho=0.438) (p < 0.0005). A one unit (mg/L) increase in hsCRP concentration was associated with 11.5% increase of odds of microalbuminuria OR=1.115; 95% CI 1.014-1.225; p=0.025). Conclusion Significantly higher values of serum hsCRP in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and microalbuminuria in comparison to those with normoalbuminuria as well as the correlation of values of inflammatory marker with urinary albumin implicate a low grade inflammation in the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Values of D-dimer test in the diagnostics of pulmonary embolism.

AIM: To establish a value of D-dimer and compare findings of elevated and normal values with the golden standard, computed tomography (CT) of lungs in patients who had symptoms indicating pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) at admission. METHODS: This retrospective/prospective study was conducted at the Department of Internal Diseases of the Cantonal Hospital Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A sample included 80 patients with symptoms indicating PTE at the time of admission, D-dimers and CT scan of thoracic organs were performed. The patients were divided into two groups: 40 examinees with PTE confirmed by CT scan and 40 patients (control group) whose PTE was not confirmed by the CT scan. RESULTS: Sensitivity of D-dimer according to statistical calculation was 87.5%. Specificity of D-dimer was 57.5%. The chance of a patient to have PTE in case of elevated values of D-dimer was 3.58 higher than in patients with normal D-dimer values. The positive predicative value of D-dimer was 0.54, the negative predicative value was 0.75. Test accuracy was 57.5%. Values of D-dimer >0.83 using a ROC curve and present clinical symptoms of the disease have indicated further diagnostic examination according algorithm and a need for CT scan (of thoracic organs ) CONCLUSION: D-dimer is important in the diagnostics of PTE, high sensitivity and low specificity have been proven. A positive D-dimer test indicates the presence of PTE. However, the test is not reliable. In order to set a diagnosis it is necessary to visualize a blood clot by computed tomography of lungs.