糖代谢异常者臂-踝脉搏波传导速度与颈动脉内膜中层厚度的变化

目的 研究糖调节功能正常、糖调节功能减低和糖尿病患者中,颈动脉内膜中层厚度(IMT)及臂-踝脉搏波传导速度(baPWV)的变化,探讨其与糖尿病早期动脉粥样硬化的关系.方法 收集糖尿病患者42例、糖调节功能减低者45例、正常对照者30例的临床资料,每例均采用全自动动脉硬化仪测定baPWV及超声检测IMT,将三组的数据进行比较分析.结果 从正常对照者、糖调节功能减低者至糖尿病患者,随着糖代谢异常程度的加重,颈动脉内膜中层逐渐增厚(P＜0.05),baPWV逐渐升高(P＜0.05).结论 在糖代谢异常的早期baPWV与IMT即发生明显改变,二者对筛查糖尿病动脉粥样硬化并发症有一定的价值.     

The study on the correlation of pulse wave velocity and ankle-brachial index to ischemic stroke in patients

We measured the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and ABI in 97 ischemic stroke patients and 93 control subjects to investigate the relationship between baPWV, ABI and risk factors of ischemic stroke. The stroke patients were grouped according to the results of MRA and Carotid artery color Doppler ultrasound. The correlation of baPWV and ABI to the arteriosclerosis was discussed. There was a significant difference in the patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, baPWV and ABI between ischemic stroke patients and control subjects. baPWV was the most sensitive risk factor for ischemic stroke. ABI and diabetes mellitus were the relatively sensitive risk factors for ischemic stroke. baPWV were found to have a positive correlation with common carotid arteriosclerosis (gamma=0.215, P=0.048), while ABI had a negative correlation with intracranial arteriosclerosis (gamma=-0.237, P<0.05). BaPWV and ABI may closely relate to severity of ischemic stroke. Simple measurements of baPWV and ABI in patients could be a useful tool for evaluating the risk of ischemic stroke.     

超声彩色脉搏波技术在定量评价2型糖尿病患者颈动脉弹性变化中的应用

目的 探讨超声彩色脉搏波(UFPWV)技术在定量评价2型糖尿病患者颈动脉血管管壁弹性变化中的应用价值。方法 回顾性研究。纳入2018年7月-2019年3月蚌埠医学院第一附属医院收治的97例2型糖尿病患者为观察组,其中男47例、女50例,年龄20~74(46.6±9.3)岁;根据颈动脉内中膜厚度(IMT)将观察组分为颈动脉粥样斑块组(A组)、颈动脉内中膜增厚组(B组)和颈动脉内中膜正常组(C组),依据下肢动脉有无斑块将C组分为下肢动脉斑块组(C1组)、下肢动脉无斑块组(C2组)。选取2017年12月-2018年12月在蚌埠医学院第一附属医院体检中心血糖及颈动脉IMT正常的健康体检者64人为对照组,其中男25人、女39人,年龄20~74(44.3±12.0)岁。运用UFPWV采集脉搏波速度 (PWV),计算颈动脉收缩早期PWV(PWV-BS)及收缩晚期PWV(PWV-ES),分析各项参数组间的差异。结果 观察组中,A组颈动脉PWV-BS、PWV-ES分别为(9.51±1.25)m/s、(10.79±1.64)m/s,B组分别为(8.47±0.91)m/s、(9.81±1.05)m/s,C组分别为(7.97±0.77)m/s、(9.07±0.74)m/s,对照组颈动脉PWV-BS、PWV-ES分别为(6.10±1.00)m/s、(7.40±1.20)m/s,A组、B组、C组及对照组间颈动脉PWV-BS、PWV-ES测量值依次降低,差异均有统计学意义(P值均<0.05)。C组中,C1组颈动脉PWV-BS、PWV-ES分别为(7.83±0.85)m/s、(8.82±0.59)m/s,C2组分别为(8.14±0.64)m/s、(9.34±0.79)m/s, C1组PWV-ES显著高于C2组,差异有统计学意义(t=3.402,P＜0.01),而两组间PWV-BS的差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论 UFPWV技术可定量评价2型糖尿病患者颈动脉弹性变化,并可通过PWV-ES的改变评估颈动脉形态学正常的患者动脉粥样硬化的进展程度,对临床诊疗具有一定意义。     

Intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity in hypertensive adolescents

Increased intima-media thickness (IMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are noninvasive markers of early arterial wall alteration and are more widely used in adult clinical research. We investigated whether IMT and PWV are useful predictors of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive adolescents. Fifteen hypertensive adolescents (13-18 yr old, systolic BP > or = 140 mmHg, diastolic BP > or = 90 mmHg) and seventeen normotensive subjects were included. Height, weight, obesity index, body mass index (BMI), and fat distribution were obtained from each group. Serum lipid, insulin, vitamine B12, folate, renin, aldosterone, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and homocysteine levels were compared. The carotid IMT and PWV were measured. Arterial wall compliance and distensibility were calculated with the equation. High systolic blood pressure significantly correlated with height, weight, BMI, obesity index, arm circumference, fat mass, and fat distribution. Hypertensive adolescents had significantly greater cIMT (carotid intima-media thickness) and lower elastic properties such as cross-sectional compliance and distensibility of the carotid artery. The carotid IMT significantly correlated with brachial-ankle PWV. In conclusion, the measurement of carotid IMT and brachial-ankle PWV might be useful to predict the development of atherosclerosis in hypertensive adolescents.     

Coronary artery calcification, common carotid artery intima-media thickness and aortic pulse wave velocity in patients on peritoneal dialysis

An increasing body of evidence suggests that atherosclerosis in patients with uremia differs from that found in general population in terms of advancement and localization of vascular lesions. It has also been suggested that different non-invasive techniques of vascular system evaluation are designed to show different types of lesions (i.e. vascular calcification, stiffness or 'classical' atherosclerosis). The aim of the study was to search for possible associations between results obtained with three different non-invasive methods of vascular system assessment in three different vascular sites in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD). 61 patients (28 F, 33 M), mean age of 50.4+/-13.6 years, on maintenance PD for a median period of 10 months (range 1-96 months) were included. Coronary artery disease (CAD) was present in 21 subjects. In all subjects coronary artery calcification score (CaSc) using multi-row spiral computed tomography (MSCT), aortic pulse wave velocity (AoPWV) and ultrasound-based common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) were performed as methods for assessing coronary calcium burden, arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis, respectively. Median value of CaSc equaled 11.5 Agatston units (range 0-5502.8 units). Median AoPWV was 10.4 m/s (range 7.56-18.1 m/s), and median CCA-IMT-0.6 mm (range 0.3-1.0 mm). In 16 patients (26.2%) at least one plaque in at least one common carotid artery was found on ultrasound. CaSc correlated with AoPWV (R=0.32, p<0.01) and with CCA-IMT (R=0.35, p<0.005), whereas no association was found between AoPWV and CCA-IMT. AoPWV, but not CaSc nor IMT correlated with blood pressure. The values of CCA-IMT and AoPWV increased together with consecutive Agatston categories (with p<0.001 for differences in AoPWV and p<0.05 for CCA-IMT). Patients with at least one plaque found in at least one CCA and patients with CAD were characterized with significantly higher values of CaSc, IMT and PWV, when compared to plaque-free and CAD- negative subjects, respectively. Association between CaSc and both IMT and PWV may suggest that the mechanism of three assessed vascular pathologies may be based, to some extent, on the process of pathologic calcium-phosphate deposition. Lack of correlation found between PWV and IMT may suggest that aortic stiffness and carotid atherosclerosis may partially differ in their pathologic background and/or are dissociated in time.     

Risk factor analysis for development of asymptomatic carotid stenosis in Koreans

Many risk factors for atherosclerosis have been proposed to identify high risk individuals. We conducted a retrospective study to determine the risk factors for development of carotid stenosis (CS) in Koreans. Database of 2,805 subjects who underwent a check up of carotid artery for health examination were analyzed. Stenosis (%) of common carotid artery or proximal internal carotid artery was examined with ultrasonography. Subjects were divided into 2 groups (Group I; CS <10%, Group II; CS >or= 30%). We compared demographic, laboratory and clinical data between 2 groups to determine the risk factors of CS. One hundred ninety seven subjects (7.0%) were categorized as Group II. At age- and sex-adjusted multivariate analysis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, hyperlipidemia, aspirin medication, current smoking, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and leukocyte count were significant risk factors of CS. At stepwise logistic regression analysis, age, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, LDL-C and leukocyte count were independent risk factors. At subgroup analysis by smoking, age and leukocyte count were independent risk factors in smoker and age and hypertension in nonsmoker.     

Diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus

In the last three years, new diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus have been proposed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA, 1997), the World Health Organization (WHO) consultation (1998), and the Japan Diabetes Society (JDS, 1999). The most important change from the previous WHO criteria (1985) to these criteria is a decrease in fasting plasma glucose level (FPG) from 140 mg/dl to 126 mg/dl, which defines diabetes mellitus. These criteria attach more importance to FPG than to plasma glucose levels 2 hours after 75 g glucose load (2 hPG). According to these criteria, for example, in one instance with FPG > or = 126 mg/dl, the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is warranted, if the postprandial plasma glucose > or = 200 mg/dl or another FPG > or = 126 mg/dl were reconfirmed on a subsequent day. The ADA criteria did not recommend an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for routine clinical use. These criteria has established a new category of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (> or = 110 mg/dl and 126 < mg/dl), similar to impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) which is recognized by performing OGTT. We have reported from a cohort study that there was only one risk factor for IGF: worsening of metabolic derangement progressing to overt diabetes. With IGT, however, there are two risks: a risk for progression to diabetes, and a risk for development of cardiovascular disease. Therefore it seems that whether or not OGTT should be performed depends on the purpose: simply diagnosing for overt diabetes, or detecting risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The JDS criteria proposed the use of HbA1C as a supporting diagnostic tool, because JDS has achieved a fruitful standardization in Japan to a considerable extent. According to the JDS criteria, a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus can be made by an FPG > or = 126 mg/dl when HbA1C > or = 6.5% is confirmed. It is expected that these new criteria will promote further efforts against the increasing number of patients with diabetes mellitus.     

彩色多普勒超声对颈动脉粥样硬化与脑梗死的相关性分析

目的探讨颈动脉粥样硬化与脑梗死的关系。方法应用彩色多普勒超声检测82例脑梗死患者和46例非脑梗死患者颈动脉内-中膜厚度（intima-media thickness,IMT）、斑块检出率、管腔狭窄率,并观察斑块性质。结果脑梗死组斑块检出率及颈动脉内膜厚度较对照组明显增加,两组比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）,脑梗死组斑块检出率（70.7%）明显高于对照组（32.6%）;脑梗死组颈总动脉（CCA）内膜厚度（1.38±0.14）明显高于对照组（0.89±0.16）,脑梗死组颈内动脉（ICA）内膜厚度（1.16±0.27）明显高于对照组（0.78±0.17）。斑块多发生于颈动脉分叉处（44.4%）,以软斑块、溃疡斑块（59.2%）居多。结论颈动脉粥样硬化程度与脑梗死的发病关系密切,彩超评估颈动脉粥样硬化程度,对脑梗死的早期预防和治疗具有重要的临床价值。     

Identification of glycosaminoglycans in human airway secretions

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), known to be present in airway mucus, are macromolecules with a variety of structural and biological functions. In the present work, we used fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE) to identify and relatively quantify GAGs in human tracheal aspirates (HTA) obtained from healthy volunteers. Primary cultures of normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) and submucosal gland (SMG) cells were used to assess their differential contribution to GAGs in mucus. Distribution was further assessed by immunofluorescence in human trachea tissue sections and in cell cultures. HTA samples contained keratan sulfate (KS), chondroitin/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS), and hyaluronan (HA), whereas heparan sulfate (HS) was not detected. SMG cultures secreted CS/DS and HA, CS/DS being the most abundant GAGs in these cultures. NHBE cells synthesized KS, HA, and CS/DS. Confocal microscopy showed that KS was exclusively found at the apical border of NHBE cells and on the apical surface of ciliated epithelial cells in tracheal tissues. CS/DS and HA were present in both NHBE and SMG cells. HS was only found in the extracellular matrix in trachea tissue sections. In summary, HTA samples contain KS, CS/DS, and HA, mirroring a mixture of secretions originated in surface epithelial cells and SMGs. We conclude that surface epithelium is responsible for most HA and all KS present in secretions, whereas glands secrete most of CS/DS. These data suggest that, in diseases where the contribution to secretions of glands versus epithelial cells is altered, the relative concentration of individual GAGs, and therefore their biological activities, will also be affected.     

Use of heart rate variability and pulse wave velocity for diagnosing cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy]

Heart rate (HR) and arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) were used for the evaluation of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy. Data were analyzed from 30 patients with diabetes mellitus (aged from 13 to 75 years). Twenty healthy male subjects (aged from 22 to 44 years) were analyzed for computing normal values as well. After 15 minutes rest, electrocardiogram (ECG) of lead II and plethysmogram of finger tip were simultaneously recorded for each subject. The recording was first done in supine position for 120 seconds and subsequently in upright position for 40 seconds. HR was computed on the basis of consecutive pairs of R wave of the ECG. PWV was estimated by transit time from R wave peak to initial rise of pulse wave. Mean and coefficient of variation (CV) were obtained from the HR in the supine and upright positions respectively, and also from the PWVs. The influence of changing the position was evaluated by percentage of the difference (increasing rate). All the parameters were statistically tested for the difference between the patients with neuropathy and those without neuropathy. As the result, two parameters, that is, the CV of HR in the supine position and the increasing rate of PWV were found to be useful for diagnosing the cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (p less than 0.05).     

Carotid duplex ultrasonography for neurosurgeons

Carotid duplex ultrasonography (CDU) is one of the most well-known imaging methods for arteriosclerosis and ischemic stroke. For neurosurgeons, it is very important for the details of carotid plaque to be thoroughly investigated by CDU. Symptomatic carotid plaque is very fragile and easily changes morphologically, and so requires frequent CDU examination. Furthermore, after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS), restenosis is evaluated with CDU. CDU facilitates not only morphological imaging in the B mode, but also allows a flow study with color Doppler and duplex imaging. So, CDU can help assess the presence of proximal and intracranial artery lesions in spite of only having a cervical view, and the patency of the extracranial artery to intracranial artery bypass is revealed with CDU, which shows a rich velocity and low pulsatility index (PI) in duplex imaging. For the examiner, it is necessary to ponder on what duplex imaging means in examinations, and to summarize all imaging finding.     

Relationship of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism to carotid wall thickness in middle-aged men

The insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene is a major determinant of circulating ACE levels. The D allele has been suggested to be a potent risk factor for coronary artery disease; however, the effect of the ACE gene on carotid atherosclerosis remains controversial. We therefore studied the relationship between the ACE gene I/D polymorphism and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). A random sample of 300 men aged 50-59 years living in southern Finland were selected, and 233 agreed to participate (74%). Data were collected in 219 subjects. Quantitative B-mode ultrasonography was used to measure the maximum near and far wall IMT of right and left common, bifurcation, and internal carotid artery. The mean maximum IMT (overall mean) was calculated as the mean of 12 maximum IMTs at 12 standard sites. Patients with an IMT higher than 1.7 mm in at least one of 12 standard sites were assumed to have carotid atherosclerosis. The I/D polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction. Overestimation of the frequency of the DD genotype was eliminated by insertion-specific primer and the inclusion of 5% dimethylsulfoxide. No significant differences were found in carotid wall thickness between the three genotypes; the overall mean IMT were 1.18 +/- 0.30, 1.22 +/- 0.24, and 1.08 +/- 0.40 mm in genotypes of II, ID, and DD, respectively. Similarly, the ACE genotypes and allele frequencies did not differ significantly between the subjects with and those without carotid atherosclerosis. There was no association in the subgroups among only nonsmoking subjects or subjects without chronic medication. The present data indicate that the I/D polymorphism of the ACE gene is not related to carotid IMT and is unlikely to play a major role in carotid atherosclerosis.     

A new animal model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus with hypertension: neonatal streptozotocin treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Streptozotocin (STZ) treatment on neonatal rats produces a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) model in adulthood. Applying this model to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), we designed the present study to develop a new model of NIDDM with genetic hypertension. Two-day-old male and female SHR were intraperitoneally injected with 25.0-75.0mg/kg STZ, and two-day-old Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) of both sexes, which are a normotensive control strain for SHR, were similarly injected with 75.0-150.0mg/kg STZ. Control rats received vehicle alone. The relationships between the doses of the STZ injected and the changes of the metabolic variable and blood pressure were examined for 12 weeks following the treatment. Plasma glucose levels in male SHR increased in a dose-dependent manner at 12 weeks, control 122 +/- 8 (SEM) mg/dl, 25.0mg/kg STZ 139 +/- 13mg/dl (ns), 37.5mg/kg STZ 240 +/- 51mg/dl (ns), 50.0mg/kg STZ 359 +/- 39mg/dl (p less than 0.01), 62.5mg/kg STZ 419 +/- 33mg/dl (p less than 0.001) and 75.0mg/kg STZ 513 +/- 10mg/dl (p less than 0.001), whereas in male WKY, only mild hyperglycemia developed in case of the higher doses of STZ given, control 112 +/- 4mg/dl, 75.0mg/kg STZ 136 +/- 18mg/dl (ns), 100.0mg/kg STZ 204 +/- 40mg/dl (ns), 125.0mg/kg STZ 219 +/- 37mg/dl (p less than 0.05), and 150.0mg/kg STZ 177 +/- 12mg/dl (p less than 0.01). The development of hypertension was not affected by the neonatal STZ treatment in male SHR at 11 weeks, systolic blood pressure being control 210 +/- 7mmHg, 25.0mg/kg STZ 217 +/- 5mmHg (ns), 37.5mg/kg STZ 202 +/- 3mmHg (ns), 50.0mg/kg STZ 216 +/- 6mmHg (ns), 62.5mg/kg STZ 210 +/- 6mmHg (ns), and 75.0mg/kg STZ 209 +/- 5mmHg (ns). For the long-term observation, STZ-treated male SHR were divided into mild diabetes group (plasma glucose at 12 weeks less than 300mg/dl, mean 195 +/- 21mg/dl) and severe diabetes group (greater than or equal to 300mg/dl, mean 445 +/- 18mg/dl). Hyperglycemia in both groups was maintained until 28 weeks, plasma glucose being control 112 +/- 4mg/dl, mild diabetes group 161 +/- 10mg/dl (p less than 0.01), and severe diabetes group 419 +/- 25mg/dl (p less than 0.001) but it later gradually ameliorated, plasma glucose at 52 weeks being control 120 +/- 3mg/dl, mild diabetes group 131 +/- 7mg/dl (ns), and severe diabetes group 220 +/- 43mg/dl (ns). However, hypertension persisted in both diabetes groups until 52 weeks, systolic blood pressure being control 209 +/- 6mmHg, mild diabetes group 199 +/- 9mmHg (ns), and severe diabetes group 221 +/- 6mmHg (ns).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Relationship between of carotid ultrasonography in Japanese hypertensive subjects for intima-media thickness and plaque, and candidate gene polymorphism--possibility of early detection of arteriosclerotic disease

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between organic changes in carotid artery walls and candidate gene polymorphism in Japanese sufferers of essential hypertension. Carotid Ultrasonography was used to measure intima-media thickness (IMT) and presence of plaque formation. Patients were divided into two groups; a hypertension (HT) group and a healthy control (C). Group HT consisted of 273 subjects (56.5 +/- 11.3y) and group C consisted of 500 subjects (55.6 +/- 11.4y). 5HTR2A (T102C, A-1438G) and beta3-AR (Trp64Arg) genetic polymorphism for genetic analysis were performed on 43 subjects (63.5 +/- 8.5y) in group HT and 24 subjects (60.3 +/- 6.8y) in group C. IMT showed 0.81 +/- 0.28mm in Group C and 1.05 +/- 0.22mm in Group HT in patients aged 50 or above, respectively. The thickening was significantly greater in Group HT than in Group C (p < 0.01). Plaque was present in 45.1% in Group C and 70.2% in Group HT in patients aged 50 or above, respectively. It was significantly present greater in Group HT than in Group C (p < 0.01). Results of genetic analysis showed no difference between Group HT and Group C for either genotype of allele frequency of T102C and A-1438G, or of beta3-AR. It is suggested that increase of IMT and formation of plaque are risk factors in patients aged 50 or above with hypertension, and that careful observation of the carotid artery will be effective for early detection of arteriosclerosis, and to predict the symptoms thereof.     

Determinants of the effect of estrogen on the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis: Estrogen in the Prevention of Atherosclerosis Trial

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which the estrogen-induced changes in lipids and markers of carbohydrate metabolism explain the beneficial effect of estrogen therapy on the progression of carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in postmenopausal women. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center trial enrolling 222 postmenopausal women 45 years and older without cardiovascular disease and with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels of 3.37 mmol/L or greater (> or = 130 mg/dL). Intervention was unopposed micronized 17beta-estradiol versus placebo. Measurements were made using high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography to measure carotid artery IMT at baseline and every 6 months on-trial. RESULTS: Progression of carotid IMT was inversely related to on-trial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (P = 0.04) and was directly related to on-trial LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.005). Compared with placebo, women randomized to estradiol showed a higher mean on-trial HDL-cholesterol level and a lower mean on-trial LDL-cholesterol level. In contrast, fasting glucose, insulin, and hemoglobin A1C were lowered and insulin sensitivity increased with estradiol therapy, but the changes were not related to carotid IMT progression. On-trial HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were significant independent determinants of carotid IMT progression, jointly explaining 30% of the treatment effect of unopposed estrogen on the progression of carotid IMT. CONCLUSION: Unopposed 17beta-estradiol reduced carotid IMT progression in postmenopausal women in part by increasing HDL-cholesterol and decreasing LDL-cholesterol. Although women randomized to estradiol showed improvement in all the markers of carbohydrate metabolism, these factors did not play a significant role in carotid IMT progression.     

The relationship of autonomic functional disturbance and atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the autonomic nerve disturbance and atherosclerotic changes in patients with type 2 diabetes. Aortic distensibility and max carotid intima-media thickness (Max IMT) were evaluated using brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) and high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography, respectively, in 135 patients (69 men, 66 women, 57 +/- 16 years) with type 2 diabetes. The autonomic neuropathy was evaluated using coefficient of variation of the RR interval (CV(R-R)) of electrocardiograms recorded at rest in a supine position. There was a significant negative correlation between CV(R-R)and Max IMT (r= -0.488, p< 0001). There were also significant negative correlations between CVR-(R a)nd the left and the right PWV(r=0.518, p<0.001; r=0.551, p<0.001, respectively). Patients with normal Max IMT, but decreased CVR-R, had a high PWV compared to patients with normal Max IMT and normal CVR-(R. )Therefore, decreased CVR-(R i)n type 2 diabetic patients may reflect atherosclerotic changes. Thus, the measurement of CVR-(R i)s a simple and quantitative test for assessing atherosclerotic as well as neuropathic complications in diabetic patients.     

Noninvasive measurement of local arterial pulse wave velocity in humans by ultrasound

An improved method for noninvasive measurement of the local velocity of arterial pulse wave propagation by an echo-tracking-based ultrasound system is described. A data acquisition image interface was programmed in the ultrasound machine simultaneously to record M-mode ultrasound signals at two locations of a given distance apart along an artery. The selections of measurement sites, separation, and time resolution were performed on the control interface. The temporal sampling frequency could be as high as 10 kHz. The displacements of the blood vessel wall along the time axis were calculated from the M-mode signals by cross-correlation of the radio-frequency data and the distension waveforms were obtained. The temporal separation of the feet of the distension curves from the two measurement locations was derived to give the travel time of the pulse wave. Measurements were made in vivo on human carotid arteries. The pulse wave velocities measured from four volunteers were from 4.1 to 7.2 m/s with coefficients of variation from 5.9 to 29.5%. Some of the factors contributing to the variation in measured values of the velocity are discussed. The method is simple to implement and should be suitable for clinical research into local pulse wave velocity.     

Type III hyperlipoproteinema with apolipoprotein E2/2 genotype in Japan

Limited information is available concerning type III hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP) in the Asian population. Therefore, clinical and biochemical characteristics of type III HLP were examined in 16 Japanese patients. Mean plasma triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (chol) levels were 381 mg/dl and 253 mg/dl, respectively, and the mean very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-chol/plasma TG ratio was 0.27, which were lower than those reported in Western countries. Eighty percent of the patients had high plasma remnant-like particles (RLP)-chol levels above 50 mg/dl and a high RLP-chol/plasma TG ratio above 0.1. Twelve patients (75.0%) were obese. Seven patients (43.8%) had type 2 diabetes mellitus and four patients (25.0%) had impaired glucose tolerance. Six patients (37.5%) had coronary heart disease (CHD), but none had peripheral vascular disease or xanthomas. TG-rich lipoproteins from type III HLP patients with diabetes mellitus stimulated cholesteryl ester synthesis by human macrophages significantly (p < 0.001) more than those from type III HLP patients without diabetes mellitus. In conclusion, the Japanese type III HLP patients had lower plasma TG and total chol levels and a lower VLDL-chol/plasma TG ratio, but CHD was more common. The patients were characterized by a high frequency of obesity and/or glucose intolerance. The TG-rich lipoproteins from type III HLP patients with diabetes mellitus were more atherogenic.     

Noninvasive measurement of local arterial pulse wave velocity in humans by ultrasound

An improved method for noninvasive measurement of the local velocity of arterial pulse wave propagation by an echo-tracking-based ultrasound system is described. A data acquisition image interface was programmed in the ultrasound machine simultaneously to record M-mode ultrasound signals at two locations of a given distance apart along an artery. The selections of measurement sites, separation, and time resolution were performed on the control interface. The temporal sampling frequency could be as high as 10?kHz. The displacements of the blood vessel wall along the time axis were calculated from the M-mode signals by cross-correlation of the radio-frequency data and the distension waveforms were obtained. The temporal separation of the feet of the distension curves from the two measurement locations was derived to give the travel time of the pulse wave. Measurements were made in vivo on human carotid arteries. The pulse wave velocities measured from four volunteers were from 4.1 to 7.2 m/s with coefficients of variation from 5.9 to 29.5%. Some of the factors contributing to the variation in measured values of the velocity are discussed. The method is simple to implement and should be suitable for clinical research into local pulse wave velocity.     

Comparison of The World Health Organization (WHO) two-step strategy and OGTT for diabetes mellitus screening

The new diagnostic criteria recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) will only detect diabetic patients with fasting hyperglycemia, and leave patients with isolated post-challenge hyperglycemia (IPCH) and imparied glucose tolerance (IGT) unidentified. The WHO recommends that all those with abnormal fasting glucose should undergo the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to exclude the diagnosis of diabetes (two-step strategy). This two-step strategy will leave out subjects with normal fasting glucose (<109 mg/dl). The aim of this study is to compare the WHO two-step strategy and the gold standard OGTT for all subjects. We re-analyzed the results of 907 high-risk patients who have been screened for diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance. All subjects were screened with an OGTT containing a 75-gram glucose load after fasting for 12 hours. The results were classified into three categories: the ADA criteria, the two-step strategy, and the OGTT. Using the ADA criteria, these 907 subjects can be classified has having normal fasting glucose (fasting plasma glucose - FPG < 109 mg/dl) in 715 subjects (78.9%), abnormal fasting glucose (FPG 110 - 125 mg/dl) in 107 subjects (11.8%), and diabetes mellitus (FPG > 126 mg/dl) in 85 subjects (9.4%). The WHO two-step strategy performed in 107 IFG subjects identified another 30 diabetic patients (FPG < 109 mg/dl and 2 hour post load > 200 mg/dl = IPCH) or 3.3%, and 49 patients with IGT, or 5.4% from all subjects. If the OGTT was performed on the 715 normal fasting glucose, it could identify another 40 diabetic patients or 4.4%, and another 178 IGT patients, or 19.6% of all subjects. This means that without OGTT to all subjects, 40 diabetic patients or 25.8% of all diabetic patients and 178 patients or 78.4% from all IGT subjects would have remained unidentified. From this study we can conclude that applying the WHO two-step strategy in subjects with IFG would fail to detect 25.8% of diabetic patients and 78.4% of IGT subjects. It is recommended that the old strategy of screening--the gold standard OGTT--should be used instead of the two-step strategy, at least in high-risk groups.