Investigation of unusual high serum indices for lipemia in clear serum samples on siemens analysers dimension.

INTRODUCTION: We present our work of monitoring 202 different patients with markedly elevated serum index for lipemia whereby serum samples were clear. We tried to clarify the cause of occurrence of these indices which were detected in the years 2006-2010 on Siemens Dimension analyzers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In samples with unusual lipemia index we measured the concentration of lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol, Lp(a), ApoA1, ApoB), total proteins and checked for possible interferents (rheumatoid factor, immunoglobulins). We performed serum protein and immuno- electrophoresis. We investigated the repeatability of unusual lipemia indices during the day and after different time periods and we compared them on four different analyzers (RXL Max, Vista, Hitachi 911 and former Olympus AU640). RESULTS: In 87% of 202 samples we found a monoclonal or biclonal peak in serum protein electrophoresis. Different types of paraproteins were confirmed with immunofixation electrophoresis. In the remaining 13%, polyclonal elevated concentrations of immunoglobulins were measured. Other parameters had no influence on appearing of these indices. The repeatability of indices was good during the first day of measurements (P values > 0.05) and markedly lower in the next days or after 3 and 12 months (P values <0.05). The indices were elevated only on Dimension analyzers, but not on Hitachi and former Olympus analysers. CONCLUSION: A markedly elevated lipemia index in a clear serum sample measured on Siemens analyzers Dimension indicates a high possibility for the presence of a paraprotein in the sample.

Rosemary extracts improve flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery and plasma PAI-1 activity in healthy young volunteers.

Polyphenol antioxidants decrease the risk of atherosclerosis. The study aimed to evaluate prospectively in healthy young participants the effect of oral rosemary extracts (RE), consisting of diphenols, upon endothelial dysfunction (ED), preceding structural atherosclerosis. Nineteen healthy young volunteers were studied prospectively, who received oral RE (77.7 mg) for 21 days, consisting of active substances carnosol (0.97 mg), carnosic (8.60 mg) and rosmarinic acid (10.30 mg). Before and after RE treatment, the study evaluated fasting serum levels of plasminogen-activator-inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), inter-cellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), fibrinogen, high-sensitivity capsular reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor-necrosis factor α (TNF-α), the lipid profile and ED, characterized as flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in the brachial artery of < 4.5%, estimated by ultrasound measurements. After 21 days, any side effects were registered, the mean FMD increased nonsignificantly (6.51 ± 5.96% vs 7.78 ± 4.56%, p = 0.546) and ED decreased significantly (66.6% vs 16.6%, p = 0.040). Among the serum markers, only the mean PAI-1 level decreased significantly (4.25 ± 1.46 U/mL vs 3.0 ± 0.61 U/mL, p = 0.012) after 21-day RE supplementation. It is concluded that oral RE supplementation has the potential to improve serum PAI-1 activity and ED in young and healthy individuals.