Effect of linagliptin plus insulin in comparison to insulin alone on metabolic control and prognosis in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection

To evaluate the effect of the combination of linagliptin and insulin on metabolic control and prognosis in hospitalized patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and hyperglycemia. A parallel double-blind randomized clinical trial including hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and hyperglycemia, randomized to receive 5 mg linagliptin + insulin (LI group) or insulin alone (I group) was performed. The main outcomes were the need for assisted mechanical ventilation and glucose levels during hospitalization. Subjects were screened for eligibility at hospital admission if they were not with assisted mechanical ventilation and presented hyperglycemia, and a total of 73 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and hyperglycemia were randomized to the LI group (n = 35) or I group (n = 38). The average hospital stay was 12 ± 1 vs 10 ± 1 days for the I and LI groups, respectively (p = 0.343). There were no baseline clinical differences between the study groups, but the percentage of males was higher in the LI group (26 vs 18, p = 0.030). The improvements in fasting and postprandial glucose levels were better in the LI group that the I group (122 ± 7 vs 149 ± 10, p = 0.033; and 137 ± 7 vs 173 ± 12, p = 0.017, respectively), and insulin requirements tended to be lower in the LI group than the I group. Three patients in the LI group and 12 in the I group required assisted mechanical ventilation (HR 0.258, CI 95% 0.092–0.719, p = 0.009); 2 patients in the LI group and 6 in the I group died after a follow-up of 30 days (p = 0.139). No major side effects were observed. The combination of linagliptin and insulin in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and hyperglycemia reduced the relative risk of assisted mechanical ventilation by 74% and improved better pre and postprandial glucose levels with lower insulin requirements, and no higher risk of hypoglycemia.This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT04542213 on 09/03/2020.

Endocrine response and outcome in 14 cats with insulin resistance and acromegaly treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (17 Gy)

OBJECTIVE To describe clinical outcomes in cats with insulin resistance and acromegaly treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). ANIMALS 14 client-owned cats. PROCEDURES Medical records of cats with insulin resistance and acromegaly treated with SRS (17 Gy) between August 2013 and November 2019 at a single institution were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate overall survival time. RESULTS Acute adverse effects of SRS included somnolence (n = 2) and alopecia (1). Delayed adverse effects of SRS included unspecified neurologic complications (n = 1; 481 days), seizures (1; 1,541 days), and hypothyroidism (1; 64 days). Exogenous insulin requirements decreased in 10 of the 14 cats, with a median time to lowest insulin dose of 399 days (range, 42 to 879 days). Complete diabetic remission was achieved in 3 cats. The median overall survival time was 741 days (95% CI, 353 to 1,129 days). Six cats were still alive at the end of the study period, with a median follow-up time of 725 days. In 7 of the 8 cats that had died, death was presumptively attributed to acromegaly owing to continued insulin resistance, organ failure, or altered neurologic status. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The SRS protocol was well tolerated and associated with survival times similar to those reported previously. Most cats had decreased exogenous insulin requirements after SRS. Latency to an endocrine response was highly variable, emphasizing the need for careful ongoing diabetic monitoring of acromegalic cats after pituitary gland irradiation.

Analysis and design process for predicting and controlling blood glucose in Type 1 diabetic patients

Engineering smart software that can monitor, predict, and control blood glucose is critical to improving patients' quality of treatments with type 1 Diabetic Mellitus (T1DM). However, ensuring a reasonable glycemic level in diabetic patients is quite challenging, as many methods do not adequately capture the complexities involved in glycemic control. This problem introduces a new level of complexity and uncertainty to the patient's psychological state, thereby making this problem nonlinear and unobservable. In this paper, we formulated a mathematical model using carbohydrate counting, insulin requirements, and the Harris-Benedict energy equations to establish the framework for predicting and controlling blood glucose level regulation in T1DM. We implemented the framework and evaluated its performance using root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) on a case study. Our framework had less error rate in terms of RMSE and MAE, which indicates a better fit with reasonable accuracy.

Metabolite-based dietary supplementation in human type 1 diabetes is associated with microbiota and immune modulation

Background: Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by the gut microbiota have beneficial anti-inflammatory and gut homeostasis effects and prevent type 1 diabetes (T1D) in mice. Reduced SCFA production indicates a loss of beneficial bacteria (dysbiosis), commonly associated with chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including T1D and type 2 diabetes. Currently, there are no microbiota-targeted interventions that investigate the imbalance of SCFAs in humans with T1D. Results: We conducted a single-arm pilot trial in adults with established T1D to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with high-amylose maize resistant starch modified by addition of acetate and butyrate (HAMSAB). SCFA concentrations were increased in concert with a shift in the composition and function of the gut microbiota. While glucose control and insulin requirements did not change, subjects with the highest SCFA concentrations exhibited the best glycemic control. Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and vitamin B7 production correlated with lower HbA1c and basal insulin requirements. Circulating B and T cells developed a more regulatory phenotype post-intervention. Conclusion: Changes in gut microbiota composition, function and immune profile following six weeks of HAMSAB supplementation were associated with increased SCFAs in stools and plasma. The persistence of these effects suggests that targeting dietary SCFAs may be a mechanism to alter immune profiles, promote immune tolerance and improve glycemic control for the treatment of T1D.

Önállóságra éhezve. Az 1-es típusú diabetes mellitus és az anorexia nervosa együttes előfordulása egy serdülő leányban

Összefoglaló. Az 1-es típusú diabetes mellitus (T1DM-) betegek körében az evészavarok előfordulása az átlagpopulációhoz képest körülbelül kétszeresre tehető. Ez a komorbiditás különösen veszélyes mind a magas mortalitási rizikó, mind a súlyos szövődmények lehetősége miatt. Az evészavarban szenvedő, T1DM-mel élő gyermekek és fiatalok hatékony kezelése a diabetológusok, pszichiáterek, pszichológusok, nővérek és dietetikusok összehangolt munkájával valósítható meg. Közleményünkben egy 14,5 éves, T1DM-mel élő, anorexia nervosával diagnosztizált páciensünk multidiszciplináris terápiáját mutatjuk be, kiemelve a különböző szakemberek együttműködésének főbb metszéspontjait. A szoros diabetológiai gondozással párhuzamosan az anorexia nervosa terápiájában a protokollok ajánlásaival megegyezően családterápiát és kognitív viselkedésterápiás elemekkel bővített egyéni terápiát alkalmaztunk. A terápiás folyamat összesen 18 hónapig tartott. Esetünk korábban le nem írt diabetológiai érdekessége, hogy a számottevő súlycsökkenéssel párhuzamosan betegünk inzulinigénye a töredékére csökkent, ami jelentős mértékben érintette a bazálisinzulin-szükségletet is. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(33): 1341–1346. Summary. The incidence of eating disorders is approximately twice as high in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) compared to the general population. Comorbidity is related to potentially severe organ complications and consequently higher mortality risk. The effective treatment of eating disorders in T1DM is provided by the teamwork of diabetologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and dietitians. The purpose of this paper is to present the multidisciplinary treatment of a 14.5-year-old adolescent with T1DM and diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, focusing on the cooperation of the professionals. In line with the current guidelines, both family therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy-informed individual psychotherapy were applied beside the strict diabetes control. Her therapy process lasted 18 months. The unusual diabetological aspect of our case is that the significant weight loss was associated with highly decreased insulin requirement affecting also the basal insulin requirements. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(33): 1341–1346.

Assessment of Risk Factors Leading to Amputation in Diabetic Neuropathic Ulceration of Foot

More than 65% of the patients were found to have neuropathy and associated deformity 90% of patients had history of trauma predisposing to diabetic ulcer, of which trivial trauma accounts for 60% of injuries .About 35% of these patients presented with abscess and 20% with gangrene. Majority of blood sugar values ranged from 200-350 mgs% with insulin requirements of about 20-40 units per day. 50% of cases were subjected to decompressions which resulted m salvaging of the legs.

Rare case of type B insulin resistance in association with systemic lupus erythematosus: illustrating diagnostic and management challenges

A 42 year-old Caribbean woman with, known type 2 diabetes, was admitted with worsening fatigue, arthritis and rashes. She was diagnosed with multisystem systemic lupus erythematosus and was initially treated with systemic steroids. During this admission, she had persistently elevated capillary glucose levels with insulin requirements over 8 U/kg/day that still did not control her blood glucose levels. Due to her profound hyperglycaemia, serum samples of fasting insulin, C-peptide, paired with blood glucose were analysed, which confirmed significant hyperinsulinaemia. Further analysis confirmed the presence of insulin receptor antibodies consistent with type B insulin resistance.She was started on intravenous cyclophosphamide (Euro-Lupus regimen) along with continuous glucose monitoring system. After completing her six cycles of cyclophosphamide, she no longer required insulin treatment. The goal of therapy for our patient with confirmed type B insulin resistance was to manage hyperglycaemia with high doses of insulin until autoantibodies were eliminated with immunosuppressive therapy.

Bariatric Surgery Outcomes in Patients with Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of the Adult

Bariatric surgery is a very effective treatment for obesity-associated type 2 diabetes. However, the benefits of bariatric surgery in patients with obesity and autoimmune diabetes, such as type 1 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), are controversial. We report 3 female patients with obesity and LADA who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass &#x3e;10 years ago. The patients were diagnosed with LADA both 1 and 9 years before (<i>n</i> = 2) or 11 years after the surgery (<i>n</i> = 1). Patients preoperative body mass index ranged from 36 to 47 kg/m² and improved to 23–37 kg/m² in the last follow-up visit, 10–15 years after surgery. Daily insulin dose also decreased from an average of 0.68 to 0.45 IU/kg in those patients treated with insulin before bariatric surgery. Only one patient developed diabetes-related target organ damage. This study shows that patients with LADA depict remarkable reduction of body weight and insulin requirements over long-term after bariatric surgery. So, LADA should not be considered a contraindication for bariatric surgery yet should only be recommended for patients with concomitant obesity with the primary aim of achieving sustained weight loss.

Approach to diagnosing a pediatric patient with severe insulin resistance in low- or middle-income countries

Diabetes mellitus (DM) in children is most often caused by impaired insulin secretion (type 1 DM). In some children, the underlying mechanism for DM is increased insulin resistance, which can have different underlying causes. While the majority of these children require insulin dosages less than 2.0 U/kg/day to achieve normoglycemia, higher insulin requirements indicate severe insulin resistance. Considering the therapeutic challenges in patients with severe insulin resistance, early diagnosis of the underlying cause is essential in order to consider targeted therapies and to prevent diabetic complications. Although rare, several disorders can attribute to severe insulin resistance in pediatric patients. Most of these disorders are diagnosed through advanced diagnostic tests, which are not commonly available in low- or middle-income countries. Based on a case of DM with severe insulin resistance in a Surinamese adolescent who was later confirmed to have autosomal recessive congenital generalized lipodystrophy, type 1 (Berardinelli-Seip syndrome), we provide a systematic approach to the differential diagnosis and work-up. We show that a thorough review of medical history and physical examination generally provide sufficient information to diagnose a child with insulin-resistant DM correctly, and therefore, our approach is especially applicable to low- or middle-income countries.