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Elderly diabetic patients with mild cognitive impairment, have higher levels of soluble adhesion molecules and markers of low-grade systemic inflammation than other groups.

Hemodialysis (HD) may adversely affect the immune system. It is established that intercurrent infection rate and severity may be increased in prevalent HD patients. Moreover, hepatitis C viral infection, a common infection in many HD centers, may further inhibit the immune system. To our knowledge, no previous study in the literature has attempted to investigate the possible effects of hepatitis C seropositivity on rate and severity of intercurrent infection in prevalent HD patients. The aim of this study was to assess the peripheral blood CD16-natural killer cells, CD4/CD8 ratio, as well as rate of intercurrent infection in hepatitis C seropositive prevalent HD patients as compared with hepatitis C seronegative prevalent HD patients. Twenty hepatitis C seropositive stable prevalent HD patients (group A), as well as another twenty hepatitis C seronegative stable prevalent HD patients (group B), were randomly selected from our HD unit and enrolled in the study. Both groups were similar in age, sex, body mass index, and duration of HD. Diabetics, smokers, and cases with advanced liver disease (Child classification stages B and C) were excluded from the study. A third group (group C) of 10 apparently healthy subjects (of similar age, sex, and body mass index), was also enrolled in the study. All subjects were investigated by complete blood count, routine chemistry, assessment of peripheral lymphocytes CD3,CD16, CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 ratio by flow cytometer, as well assessment of intercurrent infection frequency retrospectively (since the start of HD therapy and seroconversion in HD patients, and prospectively for a period of six months. Although we detected statistically significant higher frequency of intercurrent infection in both HD groups compared with the healthy group, we did not detect significant differences between hepatitis C seropositive and seronegative groups regarding frequency or severity of intercurrent infection. Moreover, we did not detect significant differences among the three studied groups regarding levels of CD16, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 ratio in peripheral lymphocytes. It may be concluded that hepatitis C seropositive prevalent HD patients are not at increased risk of intercurrent infection as compared with hepatitis C seronegative prevalent HD patients, contrary to what is reported in hepatitis C seroconverted organ transplant candidates.

Vitamin D is claimed to have an adjuvant effect on glycemic control by dual action on pancreatic β-cells and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to assess the possible effect of short-term alfacalcidol supply on glycemic control in type 2 diabetic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Twenty type 2 diabetic HD patients (using diet and oral drugs but not insulin) were randomly selected from our dialysis unit as well as 20 non-diabetic HD patients as control. A third group of 12 healthy subjects were studied as well. All three groups were similar in age, sex, and body mass index. Oral alfacalcidol therapy was administrated daily as recommended by Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) guidelines for 12 weeks guided by monthly serum phosphorus and Cax PO4 product. Corrected total calcium, phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone, 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D), and glucoparameters (fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c%], insulin resistance by homeostatic model assessment, and β-cell function by HOMA-β%) were measured under basal conditions and after 3 months of therapy. 25(OH)D was non-significantly lower in diabetic than non-diabetic HD patients, but significantly lower than healthy subjects at the start of the study. However, vitamin D level increased significantly after 3 months of trial, although the levels did not reach normal values. This vitamin D rise was associated with highly significant improvement in concentrations of fasting blood sugar (FBS), fasting insulin, HbA1c%, and HOMA-β-cell function in diabetic and non-diabetic controls. However, there was a significant rise in insulin resistance after treatment. The percentage of change was evident more in diabetics regarding FBS and 25(OH)D concentration. Adjustment of 25(OH)D level in type 2 diabetic prevalent HD patients may improve, at least with short-term therapy, glycemic control mainly through improving β-cell function.

Background and Aims Heme oxygenase 1 is an essential enzyme in heme catabolism induced by oxidative stress.It induced in avariety of kidney substructres in response to injury, including proximal tubules, glomeruli and renal interstitium.We aimed to assess the possible role of heme Oxygenase-1 as a potential marker in early diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy. Method This case control study was conducted in Ain Shams university hospital, Cairo, Egypt. It included 80 type 2 diabetic patients diagnosed according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria, with and without DN ,and 20 healthy control subjects matched in age and sex .Patients were divided into two groups according to the value of the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) : Group I: 40 normoalbuminuric patients(16 M and 24 F) with ACR<30 mg/g, and Group II: 40 microalbuminuric patients (18M and 22 F) with ACR 30-300mg/g. We excluded patients with history of diabetic ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic coma in the past 3 months preceding the study. Patients with glomerulonephritis, nephrolithiasis, tumors or any other renal diseases were excluded as well. For all studied groups,full history taking and clinical examination were done. We assessed glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C),blood urea, serum creatinine, urine creatinine, urinary albumin-to creatinine ratio (ACR mg/g) ,and urinary hemeoxygenase 1(UHO-1) by ELISA . Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated by modification of diet in renal disease formula(MDRD)and uHO-1/cr was calculated. Results Group I patients were diabetic for 6.18±0.75 years, while group II patients for 6.05±0.81 years(p = 0.477). Normoalbuminuric patients had significantly higher levels of uHO-1 compared to control (3.01ng/ml vs 0.3 ng/ml,p<0.001).UHO-1 reached highest value among the microalbuminuric group (5.02 ng/ml) with P<0.001.UHO-1/cr ratio was significantly positively correlated with urinary ACR (r = 0.61,p<0.001) and significantly negatively correlated with eGFR(r = -0.71,p <0.001). There was highly significant correlation between uHO-1and eGFR by linear regression. ROC curves showed that AUC of uHO-1is comparable to uHO-1/ Cr ratio (0.957 vs 0.954) respectively with equivocal sensitivity 100 % and specificity 95% and cut off value of uHO-1 >0.46 ng/mland > 0.7 for uHO-1/ Cr ratio. Conclusion UHO-1 is increased in normoalbuminuric patients before the presence of any proteinuria and level increased with the progression of proteinuria and falling of eGFR as well as with the uncontrol of diabetes. UHO-1 is more sensitive than albumin for the detection of early diabetic nephropathy.