Association of the serum chemerin level with the development of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Background: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) correlates positively with elevated serum chemerin levels. This study was aimed at investigating the probable association between the serum chemerin level and the development of DR in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included Egyptians and classified them into four groups: group 1, including healthy individuals; group 2, including patients with T1DM without DR; group 3, including patients with T1DM with non-proliferative DR (NPDR); and group 4, including patients with T1DM with proliferative DR (PDR). The assessment included best-corrected distance visual acuity assessment, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, funduscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography, and macular ocular coherence tomography. Fasting blood samples were obtained from all participants to measure serum chemerin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, triglyceride, and creatinine levels. Serum chemerin levels were compared among the groups, and their correlations with age, duration of diabetes, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and creatinine levels were analyzed. Results: We recruited 209 participants, including 46 healthy individuals in group 1, 52 patients (T1DM and no DR) in group 2, 61 patients (T1DM and NPDR) in group 3, and 50 patients (T1DM and PDR) in group 4, with comparable mean ages and sex ratios among groups. The diabetes duration, body mass index, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and serum chemerin levels differed significantly among the groups (all P < 0.001), whereas the creatinine level did not (P > 0.05). The serum chemerin level was significantly higher in group 4 than in groups 3 and 2, in group 3 than in group 2, and in groups 3 and 4 than in group 1 (all P < 0.001). However, it was comparable between groups 1 and 2 (P > 0.05). It correlated with the duration of T1DM and HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and creatinine levels but not with age. Conclusions: Patients with T1DM with DR showed higher serum chemerin levels than those with T1DM without DR or healthy individuals. Serum chemerin levels were higher in those with PDR than in those with NPDR. Thus, serum chemerin levels are a potential biomarker of the development and severity of DR in patients with T1DM. Nevertheless, future diagnostic accuracy studies are required to confirm these potential applications

The diagnostic efficacy of apparent diffusion coefficient value and Choline/Creatine ratio in differentiation between parotid gland tumors

Objective: To detect the diagnostic performance of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and Cho/Cr ratio in distinguishing various pathological subtypes of parotid gland tumors. Patients and Methods: This study included 30 patients (14 males and 16 females; age ranged from 25 to 70 years; mean age 50 ± 12.5 years) with 31 parotid gland masses. Diffusion weighted imaging and MR spectroscopy were performed in all patients. ADC values and Cho/Cr ratios were measured for each parotid mass and compared with pathology. The diagnostic performance of ADC value, Cho/Cr ratio, ADC + Cho/Cr ratio and ADC × Cho/Cr ratio for differentiating pathological subtypes were assessed. Results: Pleomorphic adenomas had highest ADC values and Warthin tumors had highest Cho/Cr ratios. ADC value had the best diagnostic performance in differentiating pleomorphic adenomas from Warthin tumors by using cutoff value 1.12 × 10−3 mm2/sec with sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy 100% for each. ADC value × Cho/Cr ratio had the best diagnostic performance in differentiating malignant from benign tumors, malignant tumors from pleomorphic adenoma and malignant from Warthin’s tumors by using cutoff value 2.37 at which sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy all were 100%. Conclusion: ADC value and Cho/Cr ratio are useful in differentiating different pathological subtypes of parotid tumors

Extender Supplementation with Glutathione (GSH) and Taurine Improves In Vitro Sperm Quality and Antioxidant Status of New Zealand Rabbits during Chilled Storage for up to 72 hours

This study assessed the influence of supplementing the rabbit semen extender with various concentrations of glutathione (GSH) and taurine at 24, 48, and 72 h postchilling at 5°C. Semen samples were collected from 20 New Zealand bucks, and ejaculates with standard color, motility (>85%), about 0.5 mL volume, and ∼400 × 106/mL concentration were used and diluted with extenders supplemented with 0.5, 1, and 2 mM of GSH and 1, 5, and 10 mM of taurine and chilled at 5°C. Nonsupplemented samples were used as a control. Sperm’s progressive motility, acrosome reaction, and extracellular oxidative stress biomarkers such as MDA contents and GPx, SOD, and CAT concentrations and intracellular transcriptomic levels of SOD and CAT genes were assessed. GSH and taurine supplementation improved the sperm’s kinetics by reducing cooling-associated stress, which was ascertained by lowering MDA concentration and increasing SOD, CAT, and GPx concentrations (P < 0.05). Increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes in the extender was due to the increasing mRNA copies of the SOD and CAT genes (P < 0.05). Furthermore, GSH and taurine maintained the fructose levels in the extender and lowered the GPT levels, which implies sperm membrane stability is maintained through GSH and taurine supplementation. GSH and taurine supplementation to the extender had protective influences on the in vitro rabbit semen quality during chilled storage for up to 72 h, which were remarkable with increasing supplementation dose and cooling time at 5°C