Effects of hyperbilirubinemia on markers of genotoxicity and total oxidant and antioxidant status in newborns.

Hyperbilirubinemia is one of the most common diseases in neonates. Slight elevations in bilirubin levels exert antioxidant effects but high levels may cause oxidative damage in newborns. We assessed the effects of hyperbilirubinemia on DNA damage and total oxidant and antioxidant status in newborns receiving phototherapy.

Endocan: a novel predictor of endothelial dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Background And Aims: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is an independent risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and cardiometabolic diseases. Plasma endocan levels are elevated in a large number of diseases, and is a novel surrogate endothelial cell dysfunction marker. We aimed to assess the role of serum endocan level as a potential mechanism of endothelial dysfunction in OSA patients.

Lowering Uric Acid With Allopurinol Improves Insulin Resistance and Systemic Inflammation in Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia.

Background: Hyperuricemia is an independent predictor of impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes, but whether it has a causal role in insulin resistance remains controversial. Here we tested the hypothesis that lowering uric acid in hyperuricemic nondiabetic subjects might improve insulin resistance.

Methods: Subjects with asymptomatic hyperuricemia (n = 73) were prospectively placed on allopurinol (n = 40) or control (n = 33) for 3 months.

Prevalence of gluten sensitive enteropathy antibodies in restless legs syndrome.

The prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is increased in gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE); but prevalence of GSE is not known in RLS. 96 RLS patients and 97 healthy controls, both with or without iron deficiency were enrolled. All secondary RLS patients except iron deficiency were excluded.

Urotensin II levels in patients with chronic kidney disease and kidney transplants.

Objective: Urotensin II is a potent vasoactive peptide that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many diseases. There is no study reporting the role and level of this peptide in recipients of kidney transplant. So we aimed to study the plasma levels of urotensin II in this group of patients.

Oxidative stress and autonomic nervous system functions in restless legs syndrome.

Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in over 100 disorders in recent years; however, the situation in restless legs syndrome (RLS) has not been studied yet.

Methods: Fifty patients with RLS not medicated for RLS and 50 sex- and age-matched, healthy controls and controls with no pathology except mild iron deficiency or iron deficiency anaemia were enrolled. Patients with secondary RLS other than iron deficiency were excluded.

Commutability limitations influence quality control results with different reagent lots.

Background: Good laboratory practice includes verifying that each new lot of reagents is suitable for use before it is put into service. Noncommutability of quality control (QC) samples with clinical patient samples may preclude their use to verify consistency of results for patient samples between different reagent lots.

Methods: Patient sample results and QC data were obtained from reagent lot change verification records for 18 QC materials, 661 reagent lot changes, 1483 reagent lot change-QC events, 82 analytes, and 7 instrument platforms.