Classification of Diabetes Mellitus by Studies of C-Peptide Secretory Capacity

Residual pancreatic B-cell function was investigated in children with diabetes mellitus in whom classification of the type of disease was difficult at the first visit. Intravenous glucagon tests were performed at the first visit and subsequently, the C-peptide responses compared. Based on our data on a limited number of patients, we propose C-peptide concentrations of 3.0 to 3.5 ng/ml at the peak or at 6 min after injection of glucagon, as the critical level which distinguishes non-insulin dependent from insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. However, the degree of obesity, clinical stage and other factors also need to be considered in the classification of diabetes mellitus.     

Systematic screening for diabetic retinopathy with a digital fundus camera following pupillary dilatation in a university diabetes department.

AIMS: Screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) is highly inadequate in France because of insufficient infrastructure and increasing disease prevalence. We describe the results of the first systematic DR screening programme established in a university diabetes department. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study conducted over 1 year, consecutive adult patients underwent three-field retinal photography with the Topcon TRC NW6S digital fundus camera following pupillary dilatation with Tropicamide 1%. A questionnaire provided information on patients' systemic and ocular history. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured at the screening visit.Two ophthalmologists graded the retinal photographs in a masked fashion. RESULTS: Of 1157 patients attending the diabetes department, 1153 (99.7%)underwent photographic screening. Images were gradable in 96% patients.Diabetic retinopathy was detected in 522 (45%) patients and sight-threatening DR in 167 (14%). Of 704 (61%) patients previously believed to have no DR,254 (34%) screened positive. The presence of DR was associated with age,insulin use and non-Caucasian ethnicity in Type 2 patients, and with duration of diabetes and HbA1c in Type 1 and Type 2 patients. Associated ocular pathologies were diagnosed in 612 (53%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our photographic screening programme using pharmacological mydriasis provided a high screening coverage feasible in a hospital setting. We obtained information regarding prevalence and associated risk factors of DR inpatients attending a tertiary care centre. Screening was well accepted by patients and met with no protest from city ophthalmologists. It generated considerable interest among endocrinologists and feedback of results is expected to improve optimization of glycaemic control.     

Prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccines: the beginning of the end of cervical cancer

Persistent infection with one of the oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) types is a necessity for the development of cervical cancer. By HPV vaccination, cervical cancer could become a very rare disease. Two types of HPV vaccines can be distinguished: (i) therapeutic vaccines which induce cellular immunity targeted against epithelial cells infected with HPV and (ii) prophylactic vaccines inducing virus-neutralizing antibodies protecting against new but not against established infections. At present, several vaccines have been developed and tested in clinical trials. The vaccines are generally well tolerated and highly immunogenic. The current clinical data indicate that prophylactic vaccines are very effective against new persistent infections and the development of cervical intraepithelial lesions. The protection is type specific. However, the follow-up of the vaccination trials is still short. The effect of HPV vaccines on future cancer incidence will only be known after decades of follow-up. This article will address the status of recently terminated phase II and currently running phase III trials with prophylactic HPV vaccines.     

Is neighbourhood deprivation a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus?

AIMS: To assess the relationship between neighbourhood deprivation and the rate of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) using routinely collected data from a clinical information system, in Plymouth, UK. METHODS: Between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1997, 3933 women residing within the Plymouth Primary Care Trust (PCT) were screened for GDM using indices of neighbourhood deprivation and prevalence of GDM. Areas (n = 43) were classified according to the Townsend index, measuring material deprivation. Pregnant women with and without GDM were compared. RESULTS: The prevalence of GDM was 1.7%[95%, confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 2.11]. The prevalence of GDM ranged from 1.05% (95% CI 0.60, 1.70) in the most deprived to 2.10% (95%, CI 1.34, 3.13), in the least deprived neighbourhood. Crude rates decreased by 50%[relative prevalence (RP) (95% CI) 0.50 (0.27, 0.94); P = 0.06] amongst those living in the most-deprived compared with those living in the least-deprived areas. Using a stepwise binary logistic regression model, older age at delivery significantly increased the risk of developing GDM. [RP (95%, CI) 1.09, (1.04, 1.13)]. Townsend deprivation score had no significant independent association with GDM when other covariates were considered. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the neighbourhood context in which women live has no impact on the risk of GDM. Diabet.     

Prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and relation to glycemic control therapies at baseline in the BARI 2D cohort

Abstract   We evaluated the associations between glycemic therapies and prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) at baseline among participants in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial on medical and revascularization therapies for coronary artery disease (CAD) and on insulin-sensitizing vs. insulin-providing treatments for diabetes. A total of 2,368 patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD was evaluated. DPN was defined as clinical examination score >2 using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI). DPN odds ratios across different groups of glycemic therapy were evaluated by multiple logistic regression adjusted for multiple covariates including age, sex, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and diabetes duration. Fifty-one percent of BARI 2D subjects with valid baseline characteristics and MNSI scores had DPN. After adjusting for all variables, use of insulin was significantly associated with DPN (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.15–2.13). Patients on sulfonylurea (SU) or combination of SU/metformin (Met)/thiazolidinediones (TZD) had marginally higher rates of DPN than the Met/TZD group. This cross-sectional study in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD showed association of insulin use with higher DPN prevalence, independent of disease duration, glycemic control, and other characteristics. The causality between a glycemic control strategy and DPN cannot be evaluated in this cross-sectional study, but continued assessment of DPN and randomized therapies in BARI 2D trial may provide further explanations on the development of DPN.     

Prior diabetes mellitus is associated with increased morbidity in cystic fibrosis patients undergoing bilateral lung transplantation: an ‘orphan’ area? A retrospective case–control study

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether pre-existing diabetes mellitus increases the risk of rejection, infection and/or death in cystic fibrosis patients undergoing bilateral sequential single-lung transplantation.
Methods: A retrospective audit of 25 consecutive patients with cystic fibrosis who underwent bilateral sequential single-lung transplantation between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2005 at a tertiary referral hospital was carried out.
Results: Although 32% patients had diabetes diagnosed before lung transplantation, 92% had random blood glucose levels ≥11.1 mmol/L requiring insulin during admission. Patients with pre-existing diabetes had increased infection-related (3.9 vs 1.2, P = 0.01) and putative rejection-related (1.4 vs 0.5, P = 0.04) hospital admissions post-transplantation compared with those without diabetes pre-transplant. During the period of observation, four of eight patients with a prior diagnosis of diabetes died compared with none of 17 patients without prior diabetes ( P = 0.0055).
Conclusion: Almost all cystic fibrosis patients develop hyperglycaemia after lung transplantation, but patients with prior diabetes have more complication-related admissions to hospital and a higher mortality rate.     

CD44v7/8基因表达与宫颈癌关系的探讨

目的探讨宫颈癌组织中CD44v7/8基因的异常表达及临床意义。方法1986～2000年沈阳医学院附属中心医院采用免疫组化的方法随机测定59例宫颈癌、18例尖锐湿疣和18例慢性宫颈炎组织中CD44v7/8基因的表达情况。结果宫颈癌、尖锐湿疣及慢性宫颈炎3种疾病中CD44v7/8表达阳性率分别为76.27%、11.11%和11.11%,宫颈癌组的CD44v7/8表达分别高于慢性宫颈炎组及尖锐湿疣组,且差异非常显著(P<0.01)。慢性宫颈炎组及尖锐湿疣组比较差异无显著性(P>0.05)。结论CD44v7/8蛋白的表达增强与宫颈癌的发生、发展及和局部浸润转移有关。     

Reduced prevalence of early preterm delivery in women with Type 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria--possible effect of early antihypertensive treatment during pregnancy.

AIMS: In normotensive women with Type 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria we previously found preterm delivery (< 34 weeks) in 23% of the pregnancies. Antihypertensive treatment was initiated in late pregnancy when preeclampsia was diagnosed and diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg. From April 2000 our routine was changed and early antihypertensive treatment with methyldopa was initiated if antihypertensive treatment was given prior to pregnancy, if urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was > 2 g/24 h, or blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg. The present study describes the impact of this more aggressive antiypertensive treatment in the prevalence of preterm delivery. METHODS: The old cohort (1995-1999) consisted of 26 and the new cohort (2000-2003) of 20 pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria. All were referred before gestational week 17. RESULTS: The cohorts were comparable with regard to age, diabetes duration, prepregnancy body mass index, HbA1c, blood pressure 121 (13)/71 (8) vs. 121 (14)/73 (8) mmHg [mean (sd)] and early UAE 69 (16-278) vs. 74 (30-287) mg/24 h (geometric mean and range). Antihypertensive treatment was initiated in the old cohort at 29 (20-33) weeks, n = 9, and in the new at 13 (0-34) weeks, n = 10. The prevalence of preterm delivery before 34 weeks was reduced from 23% to zero (P = 0.02), preterm delivery before 37 weeks from 62% to 40% (P = 0.15) and preeclampsia from 42% to 20% (P = 0.11). Perinatal mortality occurred in 4% vs. 0%. Birth weight was 3124 (767) g vs. 3279 (663) g. CONCLUSION: Introduction of early antihypertensive treatment with methyldopa in normotensive pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria resulted in a significant reduction in preterm delivery before gestational week 34.     

CLINICAL OBSERVATION ON THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF COMBINED TREATMENT OF NONINSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETES

Thetherapeuticeffectofacupuncturefordia betesmellitus(DM)hasbeenconfirmedbyalarge numberofclinicalinvestigations.Itisasubjectfor acupuncturiststoconsiderandsearchforatherapy providingbettertherapeuticeffectsbywayofproper differentiationofsyndromesandcombinationofacu points.Basedonclinicalexperiencegainedformore than30years,theauthorsofthepresentpaperhave graduallyformedaneffectivecombinedtherapyfor treatingtypeⅡDM(noninsulindependentDM)and itsvariouscomplications.Thereportisasfollows.1CLI…