Effect of BMI, insulin dose and number of injections on glycaemic control in insulin-using diabetic patients. Studygroup Diabetes Rijnmond (SDR).

Background: Strict glucose control is essential to the prevention of diabetic complications. The level of glycaemic control in insulin-treated patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in a routine clinical setting is not known.

Methods: In a cross-sectional survey comprising 8 hospitals in the Rijnmond area, The Netherlands, age, body mass index (BMI), insulin dose, number of injections, and HbA1c were scored in 712 patients with insulin-dependent DM (IDDM) and 462 patients with non-insulin-dependent DM (NIDDM).

Influence of pharmacological doses of calcitonin on serum osteocalcin concentration in patients with Paget's disease of the bone.

The effect of continuous infusion of calcitonin on serum osteocalcin concentration was studied in 14 patients with Paget's disease. In all patients serum osteocalcin was initially increased. Within 24 h calcitonin gradually reduced serum osteocalcin, a marker of osteoblastic activity.

Is serum beta 2 microglobulin a useful marker in patients with breast cancer?

In a study of 19 patients with breast cancer serum beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2 mu) was evaluated as a tumour marker. Serum beta 2 mu did not correlate with tumour stage, survival time, or histological differentiation grade. Nor did a change of serum beta 2 mu reflect a change of tumour mass.