Increased mortality in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda-A nationwide cohort study.

Background: Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is a rare hepatocutaneous disease for which the prognosis is largely unknown.

Objective: To compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality between a nationwide cohort of patients with PCT and a matched population sample.

Methods: We included all Danish patients who received a diagnosis of PCT from 1989 through 2012.

[Acute abdominal pain caused by lead poisoning].

This case report describes a 55-year-old man, who was admitted to hospital with acute abdominal pain. The only positive finding was elevated levels of bilirubin and alanine transaminase and dilation of the intrahepatic bile ducts. Due to the nature of the abdominal pain acute porphyria was suspected.

Diagnosing diabetes mellitus in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increased in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda. Different tests are available for diagnosing and screening for type II diabetes mellitus, however choosing the most suitable test is challenging. The pitfalls in the different tests along with the interfering comorbidities and treatments concerning patients with porphyria cutanea tarda complicate diagnosing these patients with diabetes mellitus.

Is cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes associated with serum levels of MMP-2, LOX, and the elastin degradation products ELM and ELM-2?

Background: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is a significant risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In a previous microarray study of internal mammary arteries from patients with and without T2DM, we observed several elastin-related genes with altered mRNA-expression in diabetic patients, namely matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), lysyl oxidase (LOX) and elastin itself. In this study we investigate whether the serum concentrations of elastin-related proteins correlate to signs of CVD in patients with T2DM.

NT-proBNP on Cobas h 232 in point-of-care testing: Performance in the primary health care versus in the hospital laboratory.

Background: NT-proBNP may be useful for ruling out heart failure in primary health care. In this study we examined the analytical quality of NT-proBNP in primary health care on the Cobas h 232 point-of-care instrument compared with measurements performed in a hospital laboratory.

Materials And Methods: Blood samples requested for NT-proBNP were collected in primary health care (n = 95) and in a hospital laboratory (n = 107).

[A patient diagnosed herself with erythropoietic protoporphyria after googling photosensitivity].

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is rare genetic disease caused by decreased activity of the eighth enzyme in the haem synthesis. Patients are photosensitive, getting stinging and burning sensations in the skin after sun exposure. Delayed diagnosis of these patients is not seldom because of the rarity in combination with not always visible skin symptoms.

Lack of harmonization in sweat testing for cystic fibrosis - a national survey.

Introduction: Sweat testing is used in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. Interpretation of the sweat test depends, however, on the method performed since conductivity, osmolality and chloride concentration all can be measured as part of a sweat test. The aim of this study was to investigate how performance of the test is organized in Denmark.