Rubeosis faciei diabeticorum is not associated with oxidative stress and skin autofluorescence

Background

Rubeosis faciei diabeticorum is a persistent facial erythema in patients with diabetes mellitus. The actual pathogenesis has not been studied. However, it is speculated to be a cutaneous diabetic microangiopathy.

Objective

Examine the correlation between the severity of facial erythema and the possible causes of microvascular diabetic complications, namely oxidative stress, hyperglycemia, and cutaneous accumulation of advanced glycation end-products .

Methods

Patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 32) were enrolled in the study. The facial erythema index was measured using the Mexameter MX18; cutaneous accumulation of advanced glycation end-products was estimated by measuring skin auto fluorescence with the AGE Reader (DiagnOptics Technologies B.V. – Groningen, Netherlands). Glycated haemoglobin, total antioxidant status, and malondialdehyde were measured in blood by TBARS assay. The correlation between the selected variables was assessed by Spearman's rank test; p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

There was a statistically significant correlation between total antioxidant status and the facial erythema index (ρ = 0.398, p = 0.024). Malondialdehyde, skin autofluorescence, glycated haemoglobin, body mass index, duration of diabetes, and age did not demonstrate statistically significant correlation with the facial erythema index.

Study limitations

This is an observational study. Elevation of total antioxidant status could have been caused by several factors that might have also influenced the development of rubeosis faciei, including hyperbilirubinemia and hyperuricemia.

Conclusions

The results contradicted expectations. Total antioxidant status correlated positively with facial erythema index; however, there was no correlation with oxidative stress and skin autofluorescence. Further investigations should be conducted to reveal the cause of total antioxidant status elevation in patients with rubeosis faciei.

The Effect of Ginkgo biloba and Camellia sinensis Extracts on Psychological State and Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Interest in finding natural antioxidants for use in food or medical materials to prevent free radical imbalance has increased considerably over the past years. The aim of this research was to evaluate changes in glycemic control and psychological state of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after use of antioxidant plant preparations. Fifty-six patients with T2DM were randomly allocated to receive standardized Ginkgo biloba L. leaves dry extract, green tea dry extract, or placebo capsules. Diabetes glycemic control measured as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, antioxidant state and psychological data were evaluated at baseline, after 9 and 18 months of using either antioxidant preparations or placebo. The level of perceived stress lowered significantly after 9 months ( p=0.038) and 18 months ( p=0.030), and the psychological aspect of quality of life significantly improved after 18 months ( p=0.019) of use of G. biloba extract. No significant differences were detected after using green tea extract. In patients using placebo, significant lowering of HbA1c level was observed after 18 months ( p=0.017). In conclusion, antioxidant G. biloba leaf extract exhibited a mild effect on psychological state and a trend of improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The effect of Ginkgo biloba and Camellia sinensis extracts on psychological state and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Interest in finding natural antioxidants for use in food or medical materials to prevent free radical imbalance has increased considerably over the past years. The aim of this research was to evaluate changes in glycemic control and psychological state of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after use of antioxidant plant preparations. Fifty-six patients with T2DM were randomly allocated to receive standardized Ginkgo biloba L. leaves dry extract, green tea dry extract, or placebo capsules. Diabetes glycemic control measured as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, antioxidant state and psychological data were evaluated at baseline, after 9 and 18 months of using either antioxidant preparations or placebo. The level of perceived stress lowered significantly after 9 months (p = 0.038) and 18 months (p = 0.030), and the psychological aspect of quality of life significantly improved after 18 months (p = 0.019) of use of G. biloba extrac. No significant differences were detected after using green tea extract. In patients using placebo, significant lowering of HbA1c level was observed after 18 months (p = 0.017). In conclusion, antioxidant G. biloba leaf extract exhibited a mild effect on psychological state and a trend of improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Advances of selenium supplementation in posttraumatic stress disorder risk group patients

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex of symptoms developed in a patient after traumatic event. The basis of PTSD pathophysiology is hyper activation of neurones under stress factors influence, so-called excitotoxicity, followed by oxidative stress (OS) because of an accumulation of free radicals. Lipid peroxidation can lead to neurons damage. Neurons are especially susceptible to OS, changing signal transduction and information processing mechanisms. Clinically excitotoxicity preforms as different acute and/or chronic stress reactions and can cause PTSD. Selenium (Se) is involved on different stages of transport and metabolism of Glutamate. Research aim: to access PTSD incidence, OS parameters and their adjustment advances using organic Se in PTSD risk group patients. PTSD symptomatic severity (in PCL-M points) reduced for 5.85% to baseline, Prevalence Rate reduced for 46.03% to baseline in Se group patients. We can conclude that: 1) there is a statistically reliable correlations between the incidence of PTSD and OS parameters, between PTSD symptomatic severity and OS parameters; 2) the use of Se during the mission can reduce the OS parameters, minimize the incidence of PTSD and reduce the PTSD symptomatic severity.

[Advances of selenium supplementation in posttraumatic stress disorder risk group patients]

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex of symptoms developed in a patient after traumatic event. The basis of PTSD pathophysiology is hyper activation of neurones under stress factors influence, so-called excitotoxicity, followed by oxidative stress (OS) because of an accumulation of free radicals. Lipid peroxidation can lead to neurons damage. Neurons are especially susceptible to OS, changing signal transduction and information processing mechanisms. Clinically excitotoxicity preforms as different acute and/or chronic stress reactions and can cause PTSD. Selenium (Se) is involved on different stages of transport and metabolism of Glutamate. Research aim: to access PTSD incidence, OS parameters and their adjustment advances using organic Se in PTSD risk group patients. PTSD symptomatic severity (in PCL-M points) reduced for 5.85% to baseline, Prevalence Rate reduced for 46.03% to baseline in Se group patients. We can conclude that: 1) there is a statistically reliable correlations between the incidence of PTSD and OS parameters, between PTSD symptomatic severity and OS parameters; 2) the use of Se during the mission can reduce the OS parameters, minimize the incidence of PTSD and reduce the PTSD symptomatic severity.

Anaemia and antioxidant defence of the red blood cells

Antioxidant defence was investigated in red blood cells (RBC) in 56 patients with 3 different haemoblastoses: polycythemia vera (PV), chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) with and without anaemia, in 12 iron deficiency anaemia (A) patients and 50 healthy persons. The activities were determined of the following antioxidant enzymes: glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), glutathione reductase (GSSG-R), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and MDA levels. Antioxidant defence is decreased and the level of lipid peroxidation are increased in RBC in all patients (PV, CML, CLL, A). Different changes were detected in the antioxidative defence between normal red blood cells and those formed from leukaemic cells clone. In normal RBC in anaemia (CLL, A) opposite deviation of G6PD and GSSG-R activities was observed. In RBC formed from leukaemic cell clone (PV, CML), a simultaneous significant increase in G6PD and GSSG-R activities was found, which indicated activisation of pentose phosphate pathways (PPP) in these pathologies; in anaemia they function less effectively.

The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydroxygenase and glutathione enzymes in red blood cells in patients with haemoblastoses

The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), glutathione reductase (GSSG-R), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and MDA levels have been assayed in red blood cells (RBC), obtained from 57 people suffering from haemoblastoses. The activities of G6PD in the RBC in patients with polycythemia vera (PV) and chronic lymphoid leukemia (CML) are significantly higher than those in healthy patients. Changes in the activity of glutathione dependent enzymes GSSG-R and those of GSH-Px in the RBC go in opposite directions: the activity of GSSG-R is significantly enhanced in patients with PV and CML, but the activity of GSH-Px is decreased in all patients suffering from haemoblastoses. The high levels of MDA in the RBC of all patients with haemoblastoses indicate intensification of lipid peroxidation in their RBC.