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Aim Despite evidence of morbidity, no evidence exists on the relationship between HbA1c variability and mortality in Type 1 diabetes. We performed an observational study to investigate whether the association between HbA1c variability and mortality exists in a population of people with Type 1 diabetes. As a secondary outcome, we compared onset of first hospital admission between groups. Methods People with Type 1 diabetes were identified for inclusion from the Scottish Care Information - Diabetes data set. This database includes data of all people known to have diabetes who live within Scotland. A survival analysis was carried out over a 47-month period comparing two groups; group 1 with a HbA1c coefficient of variation ( CV) above the median CV value, and group 2 with a CV below the median value. Time to death or first admission was also analysed. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to compare time to death, adjusting for appropriate covariables. Results Some 6048 individuals with Type 1 diabetes were included in the analysis. Median HbA1c CV was 7.9. The hazard ratio ( HR) for mortality for those with an HbA1c CV above the median value is 1.5 over 47 months of follow-up ( P < 0.001). HR for survival to either the first admission to hospital or death for those with an HbA1c CV above the median value was 1.35 (95% confidence interval 1.25-1.45) over 730 days of follow-up ( P < 0.001). Conclusion Our results show that people with greater HbA1c variability have a higher rate of mortality and earlier hospital admission in Type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the relationships among circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and C-reactive protein (an indicator of inflammatory systemic response) in patients with prostate disease and cancer of different stages. Patients and methods Circulating IGF-1, IGFBP-3, PSA and C-reactive protein concentrations were measured in patients with BPH (17) or stages T1/T2 (15), T3/T4 (16) and metastatic prostate cancer (12 patients). Results IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 concentrations were similar between patients with BPH and those with cancer, and there was no difference between the groups with cancer. In the latter patients there was a significant correlation between age and IGFBP-3 concentrations (r = - 0.400, P = 0.008) but not with IGF-1 concentrations. Controlling for age, there were significant partial correlations between C-reactive protein and IGF-1 (r = - 0.412, P = 0.008) and IGFBP-3 (r = - 0.277, P = 0.05). Conclusions These results indicate that circulating IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 concentrations do not change with disease stage in prostate cancer, but that they decrease with an increase in the systemic inflammatory response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on an unusual form of root gall found on raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) propagated at two different sites in Scotland. Isolation of Corynebacterium fascians (Tilford) Dowson in five instances involving the cultivars Glen Isla, Glen Clova and Malling Delight; Dates of isolations; Propagation of root cuttings of the Scottish Glen Isla stock in Cambridgeshire, England; Careful selection of material for dissection; Indication that the organisms were gram positive and gave a very strong positive urease reaction; Confirmation of the pathogenicity of the Wye isolates by inoculation on to sweet pea.