High-normal unconjugated bilirubin is associated with decreased risk of chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes: A real-world study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between serum unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) within normal limits and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in T2DM patients. METHOD: This cross-sectional, real-world study was performed in 8661 hospitalised T2DM patients. The subjects were stratified into quintiles based on serum UCB levels. The clinical characteristics and CKD prevalence were compared among the UCB quantile groups. The associations of serum UCB levels and quintiles with CKD were also analysed by binary logistic regression. RESULTS: After controlling for age, sex, and diabetes duration (DD), the CKD prevalence (20.4%, 12.2%, 10.6%, 8.3%, and 6.4% for the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth quintiles, respectively, p < 0.001 for trend) was significantly decreased across the serum UCB quintiles. The fully adjusted regression model showed negative associations of serum UCB levels (OR: 0.660, 95% CI: 0.585-0.744; p < 0.001 for trend) and quintiles (p < 0.001) with the presence of CKD. Compared with the subjects in the lowest UCB quintile, the risk of CKD decreased by 36.2%, 54.3%, 53.8%, and 62.1%, respectively, in those from the second to the highest UCB quintile. Additionally, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly higher in the subjects with CKD than in those without CKD (p < 0.001), and significantly decreased across the UCB quintiles (p < 0.001 for trend). CONCLUSIONS: Serum UCB levels within the normal range were significantly and negatively linked to CKD in T2DM patients. High-normal UCB may be an independent protective factor for CKD by its antioxidant and the following anti-inflammatory activities through its signalling activity, which was indicated by clearly decreased CRP levels across the UCB quintiles.

Serum IL-17A concentration and a IL17RA single nucleotide polymorphism contribute to the risk of autoimmune type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: Interleukin (IL)-17 is associated with autoimmunity. This study aimed to affirm the role of IL-17A, IL-17F and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to them and their receptors in autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D) for Chinese population. METHODS: In this study, 130 patients with autoimmune T1D and 140 non-T1D controls were included for analysis. Clinical and biochemical data were collected, and serum levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-6, and high-sensitivity C reactive protein were measured using ELISA. The SNPs rs2275913, rs8193036, rs3819025, rs763780, rs879577, rs4819554, and rs708567 were genotyped using the SNaPshot assay. RESULTS: IL-17A levels were higher in patients with autoimmune T1D than in controls (median [IQR] 28.83[37.38] vs. 16.68[8.10], p < 0.001) and high IL-17A was a risk factor for autoimmune T1D (odds ratio (OR), 1.013; 95% CI, 1.003-1.023; p = 0.013) after adjusting for confounding factors. Linear regression analysis revealed that log10 IL-17A levels were independently associated with fasting C-peptide, IL-6, body mass index, and IL-17F. However, no independent association was found between IL-17F and autoimmune T1D. The GG genotype of SNP rs4819554 in the interleukin 17 receptor A (IL17RA) gene was associated with a decreased risk of autoimmune T1D (OR, 0.458; 95% CI, 0.246-0.852; p = 0.014) after adjusting for other confounders. The IL17RA rs4819554 GG genotype was negatively correlated with serum glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody appearance (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Increased serum IL-17A, but not IL-17F, is a risk factor for autoimmune T1D. The GG genotype of IL17RA rs4819554 might decrease the risk for autoimmune T1D.

High level of complement factor Ba within first prenatal test of gestation increases the risk of subsequent gestational diabetes: a propensity score-matched study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to assess the alteration of circulating complement factor Ba (CFBa) within 11 to 17 weeks of gestation and its association with subsequent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and its delivery outcome. METHODS: Biochemical parameters and blood samples were collected from 399 pregnant women within 11 to 17 weeks of gestation. At 24 to 28 weeks of gestation, all participants underwent 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and were assigned to GDM group (n = 80) and normal control group (n = 319). Perinatal data were collected after delivery. A propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis was performed to reduce the impact of confounding factors on glucose metabolism during pregnancy between the two groups. RESULTS: Two groups of 74 well-matched patients who maintained balance in terms of baseline characteristics. The levels of CFBa in pregnant women who later developed GDM were significantly higher than those in healthy pregnant women [0.4(0.1-0.8) vs. 0.2(0.2-0.3), p = 0.024]. Logistic regression analysis results confirmed that the level of CFBa was an independent impact factor for the occurrence of GDM (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.118-2.210, p = 0.009). Further grouping according to the median level of CFBa, it was found that the incidence of GDM in category two (>0.23 ng/ml, n = 74) was markedly higher than that in the first category (≤0.23 ng/ml, n = 74) (p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: High level of the CFBa within 11 to 17 weeks of gestation increases the risk of subsequent GDM, and maybe a biomarker for predicting GDM.

The role of complement factor H in gestational diabetes mellitus and pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Complement factor H (CFH) has been found to be associated with insulin resistance. This study assessed the correlation between CFH and other clinical parameters, and determined whether CFH played a role in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: A total of 397 pregnant women were included for analysis in this nested case-control study. Clinical parameters and serum were collected within the 11-17th gestational age at the first prenatal visit. At 24-28 weeks of gestation, a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was performed and subjects were divided into a GDM (n = 80) and a non-GDM control group (n = 317). The delivery data were also followed. The serum CFH level was assayed by ELISA. RESULTS: CFH was higher in GDM than in non-GDM controls (280.02 [58.60] vs. 264.20 [68.77]; P = 0.014). CFH level was moderately associated with pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), BMI and total triglycerides (TG), and slightly associated with gestational age, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) in GDM and non-GDM (all P <  0.05). Moreover, CFH level was moderately correlated with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and slightly correlated with age, uric acid (UA) and total bilirubin (TB) in non-GDM (all P <  0.05). After adjustment for clinical confounding factors, BMI, TG, gestational age, ALP, TB, age and UA were independent risk factors for log10 CFH levels (all P <  0.05) in all subjects. In addition, overweight or obese pregnant women, women with hypertriglyceridemia and women in the second trimester had significantly higher CFH levels than normal weight and underweight group (P <  0.001), the non-hypertriglyceridemia group (P <  0.001) and women in the first trimester group (P < 0.05) in all pregnant women respectively. Following binary logistic regression, CFH was not independently associated with GDM and related pregnant outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The CFH in 11-17th weeks of gestation might be affected by many factors, including BMI, TG, gestational age, ALP, TB, age and UA. CFH was not an independent risk factor for GDM and avderse pregnancy outcomes.

The efficacy and safety of cold atmospheric plasma as a novel therapy for diabetic wound in vitro and in vivo.

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a group of various chemical active species, such as ozone and nitric oxide, generated by working gas. CAP was demonstrated to have an effect on tissue regeneration and wound healing. We conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CAP as a novel therapy for diabetic wounds in vitro and in vivo. The plasma consists of ionised helium gas that is produced by a high-voltage and high-frequency power supply. Eight-week-old male db/db mice and C57BL mice were treated with helium gas (control group), 90s' CAP (low-dose group), and 180s' CAP (high-dose group). Mice were treated and observed for 2 weeks. Skin samples from around the wound and blood samples were collected. Our in vitro analysis included scratch wound-healing assays by using human HaCaT immortalised human epidermal cells. After 14 days of treatment, CAP could obviously promote diabetic wound healing. Wound closure rates were significantly higher in the low-dose group and high-dose groups compared with the control group. Meanwhile, compared with the control group, the protein expression of IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and superoxide dismutase in two CAP groups significantly decreased, while the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-ß in two CAP groups significantly increased (all P < .05); these data show good agreement with the change in mRNA level (all P < .05). In vitro, scratch wound-healing assays showed that plasma treatment could effectively ensure healing within 3 minutes of exposure (all P < .05). In addition, no difference was found in histological observations of normal skin and the level of serum alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and white blood cells among the CAP groups and control group. CAP treatment for 3 minutes every day improves wound healing in diabetic mice by suppressing inflammation, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing angiogenesis, involving several proteins signalling, and it is safe for the liver and kidney.

Chaetocin attenuates gout in mice through inhibiting HIF-1α and NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent IL-1ß secretion in macrophages.

Chaetocin is a fungal metabolite that possesses a potential anti-inflammatory activity. Acute gout is a self-limiting inflammatory response to monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. However, the effect of cheatocin on gout has not been elucidated. In the study, we found that chaetocin could decrease MSU induced IL-1ß secretion in bone marrow derived macrophages by several mechanisms, including inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. Chaetocin negatively regulated apoptosis-associated speck-like protein with a CARD domain oligomerization, and caspase-1 processing, key events during inflammasome activation. Furthermore, chaetocin restrain expressions of Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and Hexokinase 2, mediators of glycolysis, which necessary for synthesis of pro-IL-1ß during inflammasome priming. In vivo, chaetocin ameliorate MSU-induced arthritis, which showed as reduced local swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration. In MSU-induced peritonitis model, the peritoneal macrophages of chaetocin-pretreated mice showed significantly decreased mRNA levels of HIF-1α and NLRP3 related genes. These findings suggested that chaetocin has a potent anti-inflammatory effect against gout. More importantly, it is proposed that the inhibiting of glycolysis pathway would be a new avenue for the treatment of gout flare and other IL-1ß related diseases.

Spautin-A41 Attenuates Cerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis through Inhibition of Dysregulated Autophagy.

Autophagy plays key roles in the development of acute pancreatitis (AP) and the regulation of impaired autophagy has therapeutic potential. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether pharmacological inhibition of autophagy could ameliorate AP in mice and examine the underlying mechanisms. In current study, by imaging-based high-throughput screening, a novel spautin-1 derivative spautin-A41 was identified as a potent autophagy inhibitor. Mice treated with spautin-A41 were resistant to the cerulein-induced elevation of serum pancreatic enzyme activities and pancreatic apoptosis. Mechanistically, spautin-A41 effectively reduced the expression levels of Class III phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3) kinase complexes and subsequently ameliorated pancreatitis by inhibiting the formation of autophagosome. Therefore, pharmacological inhibition of autophagy by spautin-A41 may serve as new target for treating or lessening the severity of AP.

Different effect of testosterone and oestrogen on urinary excretion of metformin via regulating OCTs and MATEs expression in the kidney of mice.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of testosterone and oestrogen on regulating organic cation transporters (Octs) and multidrug and toxin extrusions (Mates) expression in the kidney of mice and urinary excretion of metformin. 8 week-old male db/db mice were treated with estradiol (5 mg/kg), testosterone (50 mg/kg) or olive oil with same volume. Metformin (150 mg/kg) was injected in daily for successive 7 days. Plasma, urine and tissue concentrations of metformin were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS) assay. Western blotting and Real-time PCR analysis were successively used to evaluate the renal protein and mRNA expression of Octs and MATEs. After treatment, the protein expression of Mate1 and Oct2 in testosterone group was significantly increased than those in control group (both P < 0.05). The protein expression of Mate1 and Oct2 in estradiol group was significantly reduced by 29.4% and 43.3%, respectively, compared to those in control group (all P < 0.05). These data showed a good agreement with the change in mRNA level (all P < 0.05). The plasma metformin concentration (ng/ml) in mice treated with estradiol was significantly higher than control and testosterone group (677.56 ± 72.49 versus 293.92 ± 83.27 and 261.46 ± 79.45; P < 0.01). Moreover, testosterone increased the metformin urine excretion of mice while estradiol decreasing (both P < 0.01). Spearman correlation analysis showed that gonadal hormone was closely associated with Mate1 and Oct2 expression and metformin urine excretion in db/db mice (all P < 0.05). Testosterone and oestrogen exerted reverse effect on metformin urinary excretion via regulating Octs and Mates expression in the kidney of mice.

The coexistence of carotid and lower extremity atherosclerosis further increases cardio-cerebrovascular risk in type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Both carotid and lower limb atherosclerosis are associated with increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risks. However, it is still unclear whether the concomitant presence of carotid and lower extremity atherosclerosis further increases the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risks. Therefore, our aim is to investigate whether the coexistence of carotid and lower extremity atherosclerosis was associated with higher cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risks in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in 2830 hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes. Based on carotid and lower limb Doppler ultrasound results, the patients were divided into three groups including 711 subjects without atherosclerosis, 999 subjects with either carotid or lower limb atherosclerosis, and 1120 subjects with both carotid and lower limb atherosclerosis. And we compared the clinical characteristics and prevalence of both cardio-cerebrovascular events (CCBVEs) and self-reported cardio- cerebrovascular diseases (CCBVDs) among the three groups. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, and duration of diabetes, there were significant increases in the prevalence of both CCBVEs (3.8 vs. 11.8 vs. 26.4 %, p < 0.001 for trend) and self-reported CCBVDs (6.9 vs. 19.9 vs. 36.5 %, p < 0.001 for trend) across the three groups (diabetics without atherosclerosis, diabetics with either carotid or lower limb atherosclerosis, and diabetics with both carotid and lower extremity atherosclerosis). A fully adjusted logistic regression analysis also revealed that compared with those without atherosclerosis, those with either carotid or lower limb atherosclerosis had higher risk of CCBVEs (OR 1.724, 95 % CI 1.001-2.966) and self-reported CCBVDs (OR 1.705, 95 % CI 1.115-2.605), and those with concomitant presence of carotid and lower extremity atherosclerosis had the highest risk of CCBVEs (OR 2.869, 95 % CI 1.660-4.960) and self-reported CCBVDs (2.147, 95 % CI 1.388-3.320)(p < 0.001 for trend in CCBVEs and p = 0.002 for trend in CCBVDs, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Either carotid or lower limb atherosclerosis was obviously related to increased cardio-cerebrovascular risk in type 2 diabetes. The concomitant presence of carotid and lower extremity atherosclerosis further increased cardio-cerebrovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. The combined application of carotid and lower extremity ultrasonography may help identify type 2 diabetics with higher cardio-cerebrovascular risk.

High cystatin C levels predict undesirable outcome for diabetic foot ulcerations.

We investigated the relationship between serum cystatin C levels and the prognosis of diabetic foot ulcerations (DFU). A population-based cohort study involving 1018 patients with type 2 diabetes was conducted. These patients recruited and divided into two groups: nondiabetic foot ulcer group (NDF, n = 865, 85.5%) and diabetic foot ulcer group (DFU, n = 147, 14.5%).After a 1-year-follow-up, DFUs were grouped into healing (n = 110, 74.8%) and nonhealing (n = 37, 25.2%) group based on the clinical prognosis. Compared with the healing group, the nonhealing group were older, had long diabetic duration and had significantly increased serum cystatin C concentrations in DFU (p < 0.01). After adjustments for age, diabetes duration, renal function and infection control, multiple logistical regression analysis revealed that cystatin C remained associated increased risk of undesirable DFU outcome (OR = 7.279, 95% CI: 1.299-40.784, p < 0.05). When divided into quartiles according to cystatin C levels, the healing rate of Quartile 4 was significantly lower (57.9%) compared with other groups (p < 0.01). The odd is ratio (OR) analysis showed that the risk of undesirable DFU outcome in Quartile 4 was significantly higher (OR = 4.554, 95% CI: 3.14-5.12, p < 0.05) compared with that in Quartile 1. We concluded that there was a strong and independent association between serum cystatin C and diabetic foot ulceration prognosis, cystatin C > 1.35 mg/L predicts more than sixfold increased risk of incurable foot ulceration.

Elevated circulating lipocalin-2 levels independently predict incident cardiovascular events in men in a population-based cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Adipose tissue inflammation and perturbation of adipokine secretion may contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), mainly released from adipocytes, has been shown to be positively associated with CVD in cross-sectional studies. We aimed to evaluate the association of LCN2 with CVD involving a population-based cohort recruited from the Shanghai Diabetes Study. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Serum LCN2 levels were measured using ELISA. Independent predictors of CVD development were identified using Cox proportion hazards regression. The predictive performances of the various models were assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. At baseline, circulating LCN2 was significantly associated with a cluster of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Baseline LCN2 levels in male subjects who developed CVD events during follow-up were significantly higher than those who did not develop CVD events (P=0.012). However, such difference was not significant in female subjects. LCN2 was a predictor of CVD in men, which remained statistically significant after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors (hazard ratio, 1.038 [95% confidence interval, 1.017-1.060]). LCN2 remained significantly associated with incident CVD even after adjustment for renal function, adiponectin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested combination of LCN2 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein might improve the prediction of CVD events in male subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated circulating LCN2 level is an independent predictor of CVD events in men in a population-based cohort and adds to the prognostic value of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, which is currently the most extensively studied biomarker of CVD. Measurement of serum LCN2 might be useful for early detection and intervention of CVD.

CTSK inhibitor exert its anti-obesity effects through regulating adipocyte differentiation in high-fat diet induced obese mice.

Obesity is associated with increased risk of developing numerous adverse health conditions. Cathepsin k (CTSK) is highly expressed in adipose tissues of obese patients and animal models. Although CTSK has been demonstrated to promote adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells, the effects of CTSK selective inhibitor (CKSI) on weight gain and insulin resistance have not been well examined. High-fat diet (HFD) induced obese male C57BL/6 mice were fed a diet with or without CKSI for 8 weeks. The HFD induced increase in adipose tissue weight gain, increase in homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index as well as accumulation of large adipocytes. After CKSI treatment, all these effects were blunted compared with the HFD control group. A study of the mechanism demonstrated a role for CKSI in significantly down-regulating the expression of two key transcription factors, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), which are markers of adipogenic differentiation. These results indicated that the CKSI possesses an anti-obesity effect, possibly involving the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation. CTSK is likely to be a new target of therapeutic intervention for the treatment of obesity.

Increased urinary Smad3 is significantly correlated with glomerular hyperfiltration and a reduced glomerular filtration rate and is a new urinary biomarker for diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the major microvascular complications of diabetes. We investigated the association between urinary Smad3 (usmad3) levels, glomerular hyperfiltration, and the development of nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: The usmad3 level was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 245 well-characterised patients with T2DM and 82 healthy control subjects. The associations of the usmad3 level with glomerular hyperfiltration, glucose and lipid profiles, and renal function were evaluated. RESULTS: The usmad3 level was significantly higher in patients with diabetes than in the control group. The level in the hyperfiltration group was higher than that in the normofiltering group, regardless of whether patients were in the normoalbuminuric or the proteinuria groups. Pearson's correlation analysis suggested that the usmad3 level was significantly correlated with age, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glycated haemoglobin, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). A multiple linear stepwise regression analysis revealed that usmad3 levels in patients with T2DM and an eGFR ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m(2) were independently and positively correlated with eGFR, whereas in patients with T2DM and eGFR <90 ml/min/1.73 m(2), the levels were independently and negatively correlated with eGFR. CONCLUSIONS: The usmad3 level was significantly correlated with biphasic changes in the GFR (both glomerular hyperfiltration and reduced eGFR) in patients with T2DM. Usmad3 may serve as a novel marker for hyperfiltration and for screening patients with T2DM for nephropathy.

[Clinical features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its relationship with serum C-peptide levels in patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its relationship with serum C-peptide levels in patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). METHODS: A total of 155 patients with LADA who had no drinking history and were hospitalized in department of endocrinology and metabolism from January 2007 to June 2009 were divided into two groups, including patients with LADA but without NAFLD and patients with both LADA and NAFLD, according to Chinese medical association's guidelines of NAFLD and hepatic ultrasound result. Their clinical data and results of laboratory examinations were collected and analyzed, including medications, blood pressure, weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference, fasting plasma glucose, 2 h postprandial plasma glucose, fasting C-peptide, 2 h postprandial C-peptide, hemoglobin A1c, renal function, liver function, blood lipid and C-reactive protein. The clinical features between two groups were compared and the relationship between serum C-peptide and NAFLD were also analyzed. RESULTS: Compared to the patients with LADA but without NAFLD, patients with both LADA and NAFLD had higher alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) (all P<0.01), but the serum total bilirubin (TBI) and direct bilirubin (DBI) level had no significant inter-group difference (P>0.05). The patients with both LADA and NAFLD had higher fasting C-peptide [0.62(0.33-0.93) vs 0.17 (0.05-0.50) nmol/L, P<0.001], 2 h postprandial C-peptide [1.57(0.78-1.88) vs 0.42(0.06-1.01) nmol/L, P<0.001] and more severe insulin resistance [0.8(1.0-2.5) vs 0.6(0.2-1.3), P<0.001]. Logistic regression analysis showed that there was a significant association between fasting C-peptide and the presence of NAFLD after controlling other confounding factors in patients with LADA. CONCLUSIONS: The patients with both LADA and NAFLD had more severe metabolic disorders and insulin resistance. Serum fasting C peptide was independently associated with the presence of NAFLD in patients with LADA.

[The effects of a very low carbohydrate diet intervention on improving cardiovascular risk factors in obese subjects].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of a very low carbohydrate diet (VLCD) on improving cardiovascular risk factors in obese individuals. METHODS: A 8-week VLCD was given to 35 healthy obese subjects and the control group was consisted of 35 healthy volunteers. Multi-cardiovascular risk factors were investigated, including weight, waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FIns), lipid profiles, urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR), C-reactive protein (CRP) , TNFα and adiponectin. RESULTS: At the baseline of the study, compared with the healthy control group, all the cardiovascular risk factors were significantly more deteriorated in the obese subjects (all P values <0.05). At the end of the study, the obese subjects showed significant decrease in their mean weight and waist circumference [(8.5 ± 0.7) kg and (6.6 ± 1.1)cm, respectively; all P values < 0.01]. Significant decrease was also found in the levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), FIns, TC and TG (all P values < 0.05), while no significant change of FPG, HDL-C and LDL-C. The levels of UACR, CRP and TNFα were all significantly decreased [(1.86 ± 0.86) µg/mg, (1.15 ± 0.45) mg/L and (0.94 ± 0.21) ng/L, respectively; all P values < 0.05], while the level of adiponectin was significantly increased [(2.12 ± 0.59) mg/L, P < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: VLCD is an effective intervention in obese subjects which could improve the cardiovascular risk factors by the modest weight loss.

Serum Magnesium Levels Are Negatively Associated with Obesity and Abdominal Obesity in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Real-World Study.

Background: There remains controversy over the relationship between serum magnesium levels and obesity in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess whether there is any association of serum magnesium levels with obesity and abdominal obesity in T2DM. Methods: This cross-sectional, real-world study was conducted in 8,010 patients with T2DM, which were stratified into quintiles according to serum magnesium levels. The clinical characteristics and the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity were compared across serum magnesium quintiles in T2DM. Regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship of serum magnesium with obesity and abdominal obesity in T2DM (clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR1800015893). Results: After adjustment for age, sex, and duration of diabetes, the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity was significantly declined across magnesium quintiles (obesity: 51.3%, 50.8%, 48.9%, 45.3%, and 43.8%, respectively, P<0.001 for trend; abdominal obesity: 71.5%, 70.5%, 68.2%, 66.4%, and 64.5%, respectively, P=0.001 for trend). After controlling for confounders, there were clearly negative associations of serum magnesium levels and quintiles with obesity and abdominal obesity in T2DM. Moreover, C-reactive protein partly mediates the effect of serum magnesium on obesity and abdominal obesity (P=0.016 and P=0.004, respectively). Conclusion: The significantly negative relationship between serum magnesium and the risk of obesity and abdominal obesity was observed in T2DM. Furthermore, the independently negative association of serum magnesium with obesity may be explained by its anti-inflammatory functions. Serum magnesium levels may be applied to assess the risk of obesity and abdominal obesity in T2DM.

High-normal serum bilirubin is a useful indicator to assess the risk of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes: A real-world study.

Background: To investigate the association of serum bilirubin within normal range, especially unconjugated bilirubin (UCB), with diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: In this cross-sectional, real-world study, 7617 T2DM patients were stratified into quartiles based on serum UCB levels. DR was determined by digital fundus photography and further classified into non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and PDR. The associations of serum bilirubin levels and UCB quartiles with DR were investigated by logistic regression analysis. Results: After controlling for age, sex, and diabetes duration, the DR prevalence was significantly decreased across the serum UCB quartiles (40.4 %, 33.4 %, 29.7 %, 26.6 % for each quartile, respectively, p < 0.001 for trend). The subjects with DR had lower serum total bilirubin (TB) and UCB, rather than conjugated bilirubin (CB), compared with those without DR (p = 0.003 for TB, p < 0.001 for UCB, and p = 0.528 for CB, respectively), while all three types of serum bilirubin in the subjects with PDR were obviously lower than those with NPDR (p = 0.006 for TB, and p < 0.001 for UCB and CB, respectively). After adjustment for confounding factors, logistic regression demonstrated negative associations of serum TB and UCB levels, rather than CB, with the presence of DR (OR: 0.844, 95%CI: 0.774-0.920, p < 0.001 for TB; OR: 0.828, 95%CI: 0.763-0.899, p < 0.001 for UCB; and OR: 0.984, 95%CI: 0.900-1.074, p = 0.713 for CB, respectively). Additionally, a fully-adjusted analysis revealed a negative correlation between UCB quartiles and DR (p < 0.001). Conclusion: High-normal serum TB and UCB were closely associated with the decreased odds of DR, while all types of serum bilirubin were negatively correlated with the severity of DR in T2DM patients. Serum bilirubin may be used as a potential indicator to assess the risk and severity of DR in T2DM.

Loss of ß-arrestin2 mediates pancreatic-islet dysfunction in mice.

Insulin resistance and defective insulin secretion are two major factors contributing to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. ß-Arrestin2 is known to interact with numerous signaling molecules. Our previous study demonstrated that ß-arrestin2 regulates insulin sensitivity in both skeletal muscle and liver, yet its role in insulin secretion remains elusive. In this study, we found that ß-arrestin2 was abundantly expressed in mouse pancreatic beta cells, while its expression was significantly decreased in obese and diabetic mouse models. Hyperglycemic clamp study showed that the acute and late phase of insulin secretion were impaired in ß-arrestin2 knockout mice. Ex vivo study showed that ß-arrestin2 deficient pancreatic islets exhibited blunted glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Further analysis demonstrated the number of docked insulin granules in ß-arrestin2 deficient islets was markedly decreased compared to wild-type islets, while insulin content and beta cell mass remained unchanged. Our study establishes a new role for ß-arrestin2 in beta-cell functions, and suggests that the down regulation of ß-arrestin2 may contribute to impaired insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes.

Low-grade albuminuria is associated with early but not late carotid atherosclerotic lesions in community-based patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Low-grade albuminuria is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and mortality. Our aim was to investigate the association between low-grade albuminuria and carotid atherosclerotic lesions in community-based patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 475 community-based patients with type 2 diabetes (190 males and 285 females) with normal urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratios (UACR) (< 3.5 mg/mmol) from Shanghai, China. The subjects were stratified into tertiles based on UACR levels (the lowest tertile was UACR ≤ 1.19 mg/mmol, and the highest tertile was UACR ≥ 2 mg/mmol). Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid atherosclerotic plaque formation and stenosis were assessed and compared among the three groups based on ultrasonography. The urinary albumin excretion rate was determined as the mean of the values obtained from three separate early morning urine samples. RESULTS: Compared with the subjects with UACR in the lowest tertile, the subjects with UACR in the middle and highest tertiles had greater CIMT values (0.88 ± 0.35 mm, 0.99 ± 0.43 mm and 1.04 ± 0.35 mm, respectively; all p < 0.05) and a higher prevalence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques (25.3%, 39.0% and 46.2%, respectively; all p < 0.05) after adjusting for sex and age. Fully adjusted multiple linear regression and logistic regression analyses revealed that UACR tertiles were significantly associated with elevated CIMT (p = 0.007) and that, compared with the subjects in the first tertile of UACR, those in the second and third tertiles had 1.878- and 2.028-fold risk of carotid plaques, respectively. However, there was no statistical association between UACR tertile and the prevalence of carotid stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Higher UACR within the normal range was independently associated with early but not late carotid atherosclerotic lesions in community-based patients with type 2 diabetes. Low-grade albuminuria contributes to the risk of carotid atherosclerosis and may be used as an early marker for the detection of atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of carotid atherosclerosis in newly diagnosed patients with ketosis-onset diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The features of carotid atherosclerosis in ketosis-onset diabetes have not been investigated. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of carotid atherosclerosis in newly diagnosed Chinese diabetic patients with ketosis but without islet-associated autoantibodies. METHODS: In total, 423 newly diagnosed Chinese patients with diabetes including 208 ketosis-onset diabetics without islet-associated autoantibodies, 215 non-ketotic type 2 diabetics and 79 control subjects without diabetes were studied. Carotid atherosclerosis was defined as the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in any of the carotid vessel segments. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid atherosclerotic plaque formation and stenosis were assessed and compared among the three groups based on Doppler ultrasound examination. The clinical features of carotid atherosclerotic lesions were analysed, and the risk factors associated with carotid atherosclerosis were evaluated using binary logistic regression in patients with diabetes. RESULTS: The prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was significantly higher in the ketosis-onset diabetic group (30.80%) than in the control group (15.2%, p=0.020) after adjusting for age- and sex-related differences, but no significant difference was observed in comparison to the non-ketotic diabetic group (35.8%, p=0.487). The mean CIMT of the ketosis-onset diabetics (0.70±0.20 mm) was markedly higher than that of the control subjects (0.57±0.08 mm, p<0.001), but no significant difference was found compared with the non-ketotic type 2 diabetics (0.73±0.19 mm, p=0.582) after controlling for differences in age and sex. In both the ketosis-onset and the non-ketotic diabetes, the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was markedly increased with age (both p<0.001) after controlling for sex, but no sex difference was observed (p=0.479 and p=0.707, respectively) after controlling for age. In the ketosis-onset diabetics, the presence of carotid atherosclerosis was significantly associated with age, hypertension, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and mean CIMT. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and risk of carotid atherosclerosis were significantly higher in the ketosis-onset diabetics than in the control subjects but similar to that in the non-ketotic type 2 diabetics. The characteristics of carotid atherosclerotic lesions in the ketosis-onset diabetics resembled those in the non-ketotic type 2 diabetics. Our findings support the classification of ketosis-onset diabetes as a subtype of type 2 diabetes.