Inaccurate diagnosis of diabetes type in youth: prevalence, characteristics, and implications.

Classifying diabetes at diagnosis is crucial for disease management but increasingly difficult due to overlaps in characteristics between the commonly encountered diabetes types. We evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of youth with diabetes type that was unknown at diagnosis or was revised over time. We studied 2073 youth with new-onset diabetes (median age [IQR] = 11.4 [6.2] years; 50% male; 75% White, 21% Black, 4% other race; overall, 37% Hispanic) and compared youth with unknown versus known diabetes type, per pediatric endocrinologist diagnosis. In a longitudinal subcohort of patients with data for ≥ 3 years post-diabetes diagnosis (n = 1019), we compared youth with steady versus reclassified diabetes type. In the entire cohort, after adjustment for confounders, diabetes type was unknown in 62 youth (3%), associated with older age, negative IA-2 autoantibody, lower C-peptide, and no diabetic ketoacidosis (all, p < 0.05). In the longitudinal subcohort, diabetes type was reclassified in 35 youth (3.4%); this was not statistically associated with any single characteristic. In sum, among racially/ethnically diverse youth with diabetes, 6.4% had inaccurate diabetes classification at diagnosis. Further research is warranted to improve accurate diagnosis of pediatric diabetes type.

Two years of a pilot virtual melanoma education program for adolescents in Texas: Assessing knowledge gaps and demographic disparities.

A formal melanoma primary prevention program was developed for a target audience of grade-school adolescents near Houston, Texas, focusing on skin cancer education and promoting long-term sun safety habits. Upon application of a multivariable regression model, adolescents of Black, non-Hispanic race, male gender, and lower grade levels were independent predictors of lower baseline skin cancer prevention knowledge. These findings reveal potential areas to prioritize when addressing knowledge gaps in the adolescent community.

Imprecise Diagnosis of Diabetes Type in Youth: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Implications.

Classifying diabetes at diagnosis is crucial for disease management but increasingly difficult due to overlaps in characteristics between the commonly encountered diabetes types. We evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of youth with diabetes type that was unknown at diagnosis or was revised over time. We studied 2073 youth with new-onset diabetes (median age [IQR]=11.4 [6.2] years; 50% male; 75% White, 21% Black, 4% other race; overall, 37% Hispanic) and compared youth with unknown versus known diabetes type, per pediatric endocrinologist diagnosis. In a longitudinal subcohort of patients with data for ≥3 years post-diabetes diagnosis (n=1019), we compared youth with unchanged versus changed diabetes classification. In the entire cohort, after adjustment for confounders, diabetes type was unknown in 62 youth (3%), associated with older age, negative IA-2 autoantibody, lower C-peptide, and no diabetic ketoacidosis (all, p<0.05). In the longitudinal subcohort, diabetes classification changed in 35 youth (3.4%); this was not statistically associated with any single characteristic. Having unknown or revised diabetes type was associated with less continuous glucose monitor use on follow-up (both, p<0.004). In sum, among racially/ethnically diverse youth with diabetes, 6.5% had imprecise diabetes classification at diagnosis. Further research is warranted to improve accurate diagnosis of pediatric diabetes type.

Amphetamines promote mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage in pulmonary hypertension.

Amphetamine (AMPH) or methamphetamine (METH) abuse can cause oxidative damage and is a risk factor for diseases including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) from AMPH-associated-PAH patients show DNA damage as judged by γH2AX foci and DNA comet tails. We therefore hypothesized that AMPH induces DNA damage and vascular pathology by interfering with normal adaptation to an environmental perturbation causing oxidative stress. Consistent with this, we found that AMPH alone does not cause DNA damage in normoxic PAECs, but greatly amplifies DNA damage in hypoxic PAECs. The mechanism involves AMPH activation of protein phosphatase 2A, which potentiates inhibition of Akt. This increases sirtuin 1, causing deacetylation and degradation of HIF1α, thereby impairing its transcriptional activity, resulting in a reduction in pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 and impaired cytochrome c oxidase 4 isoform switch. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is inappropriately enhanced and, as a result of impaired electron transport and mitochondrial ROS increase, caspase-3 is activated and DNA damage is induced. In mice given binge doses of METH followed by hypoxia, HIF1α is suppressed and pulmonary artery DNA damage foci are associated with worse pulmonary vascular remodeling. Thus, chronic AMPH/METH can induce DNA damage associated with vascular disease by subverting the adaptive responses to oxidative stress.