The importance of laser-biophotometry in vivo in medicine.

Infrared laser biophotometry limits to a relatively strait spectrum (0.85-0.89 mkm) and it is based on the absorption, dispersion and reflexion phenomena from the tissues. It was taken a study group of 180 people (students and other categories of people considered healthy). The determined medium reflexion coefficient in infrared in the intact tissues is an index with medium values (between 55.7-68+/-2.1 milliwatts), stable in time. The individual variations of the medium coefficient of reflexion in infrared (MCR IR) for the intact tissues do not exceed 3+/-2.1 milliwatts. The MCR IR values determined for intact tissues will be taken as reference point in the determination of the MCR IR for pathologically modified tissues (edema, hematoma, abscess) in the next part of the study. The obtained results allow the use of Laser-biophotometry in vivo method in the evaluation and observation of the pathological processes accompanied by water retention in the organism, differentiation of the processes concerning fat accumulation (obesity, metabolic X syndrome, etc.). Absorption particularities of radiation in Infrared, observed during this study, suggest physiotherapeutic factor graduation determined by individual particularities of the organism: the pigmentation degree of the skin tissue and the tissue structure (stroma density).

Meal testing and postprandial state of type 2 diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: C reactive protein (CRP), a non-specific acute phase reactant, has been associated with multiple patogenic mechanisms involved in chronic illnesses, but up to now the significance of CRP in the postprandial state in diabetes mellitus has not been addressed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated 58 type 2 diabetic patients (33F/25 M) with associated metabolic syndrome. The main characteristics of the patients were: age 58.1+/-9.15 years, duration of diabetes 3.9+/-3.07 years, BMI 26.2+/-3.26 kg/m2, waist circumference 97.7+/-9.88 cm and HbA1c 7.2+/-1.2%. Men and women were matched for age, duration of diabetes, BMI and HbA1c. The patients had a 330 kcal standard meal, blood samples were taken in fasting condition and 2 and 4 hours postprandial and the following parameters were obtained: glycemia, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1 and B and also CRP levels. The patients were also evaluated through duplex scan 2D ultrasound for intima-media thickness (IMT) of common carotid artery bilaterally. Data were analysed with Epi Info, SPSS and Statistica Software. RESULTS: Fasting CRP correlated to BMI and waist circumference (p=0.0068 and p=0.038 respectively). At two hours postprandial, we found a significant nonparametric correlation between CRP level and total cholesterol (p=0.01), which remained significant even after adjusting for age, BMI, HbA1c and blood pressure values (adjusted p=0.018). Patients in the lowest quartile for CRP level compared to those in the highest quartile had lower fasting apolipoprotein B levels (146 vs 197 mg/dl, p=0.042), lower postprandial blood glucose levels (188 vs 241 mg/dl, p=0.035) and lower nonHDL-cholesterol levels (148 vs 192 mg/dl, p=0.005). Common carotid artery IMT correlated with the duration of diabetes (p=0.026) and systolic blood pressure values both in clino and orthostatism (p=0.007 and p=0.006 respectively). CONCLUSION: The results confirm that C reactive protein and apolipoprotein B have close relationships with other components of the metabolic syndrome in type 2 diabetic patients. High CRP and apolipoprotein B levels could be a marker for an excessive postprandial response, leading to an increased risk for chronic vascular complications and atherogenesis.

Early detection of atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients by endothelial dysfunction and intima-media thickness.

UNLABELLED: Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is regarded as an early functional marker and intima-media thickness (IMT) as an early morphological marker of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether peripheral endothelial function and common carotid IMT are impaired in type 2 diabetic patients with inadequate glycemic control. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 20 subjects--10 controls (aged 54.2 +/- 4.37 years) and 10 type 2 diabetic patients (aged 55.6 +/- 3.66 years) with HbA1c level >8.5% (mean 9.25% +/- 0.54%), with an average duration of diabetes of 5.65 +/- 2.34 years, all without clinical evidence of atherosclerosis. B-mode ultrasonography was used to assess both intima-media thickness in the common carotid artery and endothelium function in the brahial artery. In order to evaluate endothelium function brachial artery diameter was measured at rest, during reactive hyperemia, which causes endothelium-dependent vasodilation and after sublingual administration of nitroglycerin (500 microg), which causes endothelium-independent vasodilation. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between the two groups regarding age. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol were higher and HDL-cholesterol was lower in the diabetic group, but the differences didn't reach statistical significance. Triglycerides concentration and BMI were significant greater in the diabetic group (triglycerides-204 +/- 48.5 mg/dl vs. 117 +/- 22.2 mg/dl, p<0.0001; BMI-28.6 +/- 1.28 kg/m2 vs. 26.7 +/- 1.93 kg/m2, p=0.021). Diabetic subjects had significantly impaired flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in the brachial artery compared with control group (5.65% +/- 1.42% vs. 7.11% +/- 1.01%, p=0.016). Endothelium-independent vasodilation induced by nitroglycerin did not differ between the two groups (15.4% +/- 2.01% in diabetic subjects vs. 15.7% +/- 2.58% in control subjects, p=0.75). Intima-media thickness was significantly increased in diabetic patients (0.87 +/- 0.07 mm vs. 0.77 +/- 0.06, p=0.0022). CONCLUSION: In diabetic patients with inadequate glycemic control and without clinical evidence of atherosclerosis endothelial function assessed by FMD is significantly impaired and IMT is significantly greater compared to nondiabetic healty subjects. Large clinical trials should evaluate if in clinical practice FMD and IMT are useful in identification of high-risk subjects.