Objectives: Excessive fructose consumption is recognized to elevate insulin resistance in animals and humans. In our study, we aimed to assess the possible consequences of curcumin (curc) treatment applied to rat models of fructose-induced insulin resistance on adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathways in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Methods: We established four distinct rat groups: corn oil (negative control group), 20 % fructose (positive control group), 20 % fructose and 100 mg/kg curc (100 mg/kg curc group), and 20 % fructose and 200 mg/kg curc (200 mg/kg curc group). The ELISA method was used to determine serum insulin levels, an auto-analyzer was used to measure serum glucose levels, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values were calculated. In the rat’s skeletal muscle and adipose tissues, the ELISA method was used to determine the following parameters: insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1 (p-IRS-1), PI3K, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), phosphoinositide-dependent kinases (PDK-1), phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), AMPK and glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) levels. Results: The positive control group exhibited a significant increase in serum glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR levels, confirming the establishment of the insulin resistance model. In the curcumin dose groups, these values significantly decreased. Additionally, compared to the positive control groups, curcumin dose groups demonstrated a significant increase in the parameters of the Akt/PI3K pathway, AMPK activation, and GLUT4 levels in skeletal muscle and adipose tissues. Conclusions: We observed that curcumin demonstrates potential ameliorative effects on the insulin signaling pathway through PI3K/Akt and AMPK pathways.

Objectives: Autoverification (AV) is releasing laboratory results using predefined rules. AV standardizes the verification of laboratory results, improves turnaround time (TAT), detects errors in the total test process, and enables effective use of laboratory staff. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the outcomes of implementing the AV in a tertiary hospital. Methods: The study was performed in Gazi University Health Research and Application Hospital, Core Biochemistry Laboratory, between August 2017 and October 2019. Step by step, AV algorithms were designed and implemented via middleware for 29 clinical biochemistry tests. A comprehensive validation was performed before the AV system was run. Initially, AV system was tested with datasets and simulated patients (dry testing). Next, samples that may violate AV rules were tested anonymously with no-named trial barcodes (wet testing). Finally, validation of the system was performed with real patients, while the AV was running in the background but not active (i.e., while the manual verification was still going on). After all these steps were successful, the system was started. Results: In the daytime, AV rates were ≥75 % for 23 of 29 tests. In night-shift, AV rates were ≥70 % for 16 of 25 tests. Report-based performance was found 26 % for daytime. TAT in the daytime decreased after AV implementation. Conclusions: Although this is the first time we have implemented the AV, a significant percentage of the tests have been verified. However, approaches that will increase the percentage of report-based verification will enhance the efficiency of autoverification.

To investigate the association between vascular inflammation, as detected by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and interleukin-6 (IL-6), pentraxin3, and B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) in subjects with LVV. The study included newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis (GCA, n = 27) or Takayasu arteritis (n = 9) patients and healthy control (HC, n = 31) subjects. PET scan and blood samples were obtained before the introduction of treatments. IL-6, PTX3, and BAFF levels were determined quantitatively by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Thirty-six patients with LVV (20 females, 16 males; age 64.5 ± 16.6 years) and 31 HC (14 females, 17 males; age 37.1 ± 9.6 years) were included. Serum levels of IL-6, PTX3, and BAFF were increased in patients with newly diagnosed LVV compared with healthy control subjects. In receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, serum IL-6 and BAFF provided excellent discrimination of newly diagnosed LVV patients from HC (area under the ROC curve of >0.90 and >0.80, respectively). None of the inflammatory markers correlated with vascular inflammatory activity determined by PET scanning. Our results suggest that IL-6 and BAFF may serve as markers of large vessel vasculitis, while PTX3 is not useful. None of the inflammatory markers correlated with PET assessed vasculitis activity.

Background/Objectives: Reference intervals (RIs) for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and free triiodothyronine (FT3) are essential for accurate interpretation of thyroid function tests. Given the pronounced age- and sex-related biological variability of these analytes, locally derived and population-specific RIs are required. Methods: This multicenter study estimated age- and sex-specific RIs for TSH, FT4, and FT3 using an indirect statistical approach applied to routine laboratory information system data from three hospitals in Ankara, Türkiye. Measurements were performed on Maglumi X8 and X6 analyzers (Snibe Diagnostic, Shenzhen, China) using chemiluminescent immunoassays. Reference intervals were calculated using the refineR algorithm implemented in the R programming language, with Box–Cox or shifted two-parameter (mod) Box–Cox transformations selected according to data distribution. Results: More than 100,000 test results were included after predefined exclusions. In adults (≥18 years), the estimated TSH reference intervals were 0.495–5.83 mIU/L in males and 0.485–6.40 mIU/L in females, with higher upper limits observed in females. Adult FT4 reference intervals were approximately 12.9–21.5 pmol/L, and FT3 intervals were 3.46–6.04 pmol/L in males and 3.46–5.76 pmol/L in females. Pediatric reference intervals for TSH and FT4 were also derived across predefined age categories, demonstrating age-dependent variation. Conclusions: This study establishes age- and sex-stratified reference intervals for TSH, FT4, and FT3 using large multicenter routine laboratory datasets, encompassing both adult and pediatric populations. The findings highlight limitations of manufacturer-provided intervals and support the application of indirect statistical approaches, such as refineR, for local reference interval determination in clinical laboratories.