The FLIO allows reproducible measurements of fluorescence lifetimes of the macula in healthy subjects. By using a custom-built software, we were able to quantify fluorescence lifetimes within the ETDRS grid. Establishing a clinically accessible standard against which to measure FAF lifetimes within the retina is a prerequisite for future studies in retinal disease.

Background:The aim of our present study was to establish new reference intervals for thyrotropin (TSH) and thyroid hormones based on National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) criteria and regular thyroid ultrasonography. We also assessed the effect of potentially confounding factors to modulate the limits of these intervals. Methods: We investigated 870 apparently healthy persons and excluded, step by step, those with a family history of thyroid disease, pathologic thyroid ultrasonography results, and increased anti-thyroid peroxidase or anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. Accordingly, only 453 of the 870 persons in the entire group were finally included as reference collective. We measured serum concentrations of TSH, total and free thyroxine (T 4 and FT 4 ), and total and free triiodothyronine (T 3 and FT 3 ) of the whole and the reference collective on the ELECSYS system assays (Roche Diagnostics) and calculated the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles for comparison. Results: The calculated lower limit for TSH differed significantly between the reference intervals for healthy persons with an assessed normal thyroid gland vs the nonselected group of healthy blood donors. Age was the only independent factor and was significantly inversely associated with TSH (P <0.0001). Use of oral contracep-

ObjectiveThe role of mitochondrial function in the complex pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes is not yet completely understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate serum concentrations of short-, medium- and long-chain acylcarnitines as markers of mitochondrial function in volunteers with normal, impaired or diabetic glucose control.MethodsBased on a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, 1019 studied subjects were divided into a group with normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n = 636), isolated impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG; n = 184), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT; n = 87) or type 2 diabetes (T2D; n = 112). Serum concentrations of free carnitine and 24 acylcarnitines were measured by mass spectrometry.ResultsSerum levels of acetylcarnitine (C2), propionylcarnitine (C3), octanoylcarnitine (C8), malonylcarnitine/hydroxybutyrylcarnitine (C3DC+C4OH), hexanoylcarnitine (C6), octenoylcarnitine (C8:1), decanoylcarnitine (C10), decenoylcarnitine (C10:1), dodecanoylcarnitine (C12), tetradecenoylcarnitine (C14:1), tetradecadienylcarnitine (C14:2), hydroxytetradecanoylcarnitine (C14OH), hydroxyhexadecanoylcarnitine (C16OH) and octadecenoylcarnitine (C18:1) were significantly different among the groups (all p<0.05 adjusted for age, gender and BMI). Between the prediabetic states C14:1, C14:2 and C18:1 showed significantly higher serum concentrations in persons with IGT (p<0.05). Compared to T2D the IFG and the IGT subjects showed lower serum concentrations of malonylcarnitine/hydroxybutyrylcarnitine (C3DC+C4OH) (p<0.05).ConclusionAlterations in serum concentrations of several acylcarnitines, in particular tetradecenoylcarnitine (C14:1), tetradecadienylcarnitine (C14:2), octadecenoylcarnitine (C18:1) and malonylcarnitine/hydroxybutyrylcarnitine (C3DC+C4OH) are associated not only with T2D but also with prediabetic states.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most frequent cause of blindness in the elderly. There is evidence that nutrition, inflammation and genetic risk factors play an important role in the development of AMD. Recent studies suggest that the composition of the intestinal microbiome is associated with metabolic diseases through modulation of inflammation and host metabolism. To investigate whether compositional and functional alterations of the intestinal microbiome are associated with AMD, we sequenced the gut metagenomes of patients with AMD and controls. The genera Anaerotruncus and Oscillibacter as well as Ruminococcus torques and Eubacterium ventriosum were relatively enriched in patients with AMD, whereas Bacteroides eggerthii was enriched in controls. Patient’s intestinal microbiomes were enriched in genes of the L-alanine fermentation, glutamate degradation and arginine biosynthesis pathways and decreased in genes of the fatty acid elongation pathway. These findings suggest that modifications in the intestinal microbiome are associated with AMD, inferring that this common sight threatening disease may be targeted by microbiome-altering interventions.