Semi-supervised generative approach to chemical disorder: application to point-defect formation in uranium-plutonium mixed oxides.

Chemical disorder has a major impact on the characterization of the atomic-scale properties of highly complex chemical compounds, such as the properties of point defects. Due to the vast amount of possible atomic configurations, the study of such properties becomes intractable if treated with direct sampling. In this work, we propose an alternative approach, in which samples are selected based on the local atomic composition around the defect, and the defect formation energy is obtained as a function of this local composition with a reduced computational cost. We apply this approach to (U, Pu)O2 nuclear fuels. The formation-energy distribution is computed using machine-learning generative methods, and used to investigate the impact of chemical disorder and the range of influence of local composition on the defect properties. The predicted distributions are then used to calculate the concentration of thermal defects. This approach allows for the first time for the computation of the latter property with a physically meaningful exploration of the configuration space, and opens the way to a more efficient determination of physico-chemical properties in other chemically-disordered compounds such as high-entropy alloys.

Anti-Islet Autoantibodies in Type 1 Diabetes.

Anti-islet autoantibodies serve as key markers in immune-mediated type 1 diabetes (T1D) and slowly progressive T1D (SPIDDM), also known as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). Autoantibodies to insulin (IAA), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA), tyrosine phosphatase-like protein IA-2 (IA-2A), and zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8A) are currently employed in the diagnosis, pathological analysis, and prediction of T1D. GADA can also be detected in non-diabetic patients with autoimmune diseases other than T1D and may not necessarily reflect insulitis. Conversely, IA-2A and ZnT8A serve as surrogate markers of pancreatic ß-cell destruction. A combinatorial analysis of these four anti-islet autoantibodies demonstrated that 93-96% of acute-onset T1D and SPIDDM cases were diagnosed as immune-mediated T1D, while the majority of fulminant T1D cases were autoantibody-negative. Evaluating the epitopes and immunoglobulin subclasses of anti-islet autoantibodies help distinguish between diabetes-associated and non-diabetes-associated autoantibodies and is valuable for predicting future insulin deficiency in SPIDDM (LADA) patients. Additionally, GADA in T1D patients with autoimmune thyroid disease reveals the polyclonal expansion of autoantibody epitopes and immunoglobulin subclasses. Recent advancements in anti-islet autoantibody assays include nonradioactive fluid-phase assays and the simultaneous determination of multiple biochemically defined autoantibodies. Developing a high-throughput assay for detecting epitope-specific or immunoglobulin isotype-specific autoantibodies will facilitate a more accurate diagnosis and prediction of autoimmune disorders. The aim of this review is to summarize what is known about the clinical significance of anti-islet autoantibodies in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of T1D.

Factors associated with advanced hepatic fibrosis in patients with various internal diseases: A multicenter community-based survey.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Advanced hepatic fibrosis can occur in patients with various diseases, including diabetes mellitus and hypertension. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of advanced hepatic fibrosis in patients with various internal diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a community-based survey in which 1012 patients were enrolled (mean age, 63.1 ± 10.8 years; female/male, 505/507). Hepatic fibrosis was evaluated by Fib-4 index and patients were classified into high and low Fib-4 groups. Independent factors for the high Fib-4 group were analyzed using logistic regression and decision tree analysis. RESULTS: A high prevalence of high Fib-4 index was observed in patients with cardiovascular diseases; 37.1% of patients with hypertension belonged to the high Fib-4 group. Independent factors associated with the high Fib-4 group were BMI (OR 0.95, 95%CI 0.918-0.989, P < 0.01), male sex (OR 1.35, 95%CI 1.03-1.78, P < 0.05), and hypertension (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.03-1.92, P < 0.05). In patients with hypertension, a decision tree algorithm revealed three profiles for Fib-4 index: 1) creatinine level < 0.76 mg/dL (high Fib-4; 30.0%), 2) creatinine level ≥ 0.76 mg/dL without sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) treatment (high Fib-4; 48.2%), and 3) creatinine level ≥ 0.76 mg/dL with SGLT2i treatment (high Fib-4; 23.5%). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of advanced hepatic fibrosis was observed in patients with hypertension. Hypertension was an independent risk factor, and creatinine level and SGLT2i were divergence variables for advanced hepatic fibrosis. Thus, hypertension with chronic kidney injury may exacerbate hepatic fibrosis, while SGLT2i treatment may ameliorate hepatic fibrosis.

Effect of nutritional counseling and long term isomaltulose based liquid formula (MHN-01) intake on metabolic syndrome.

The isomaltulose based liquid formula (MHN-01), suppresses postprandial plasma glucose and insulin levels in healthy persons and patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or type 2 diabetes. MHN-01 intake as a part of breakfast also suppresses glucose and insulin levels after lunch, suggesting second meal effect. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of nutritional counseling and long-term (24 weeks) MHN-01 ingestion on biomarkers of metabolic syndrome. Forty-one subjects with criteria of metabolic syndrome participated in this study composed with the control period (0-12 week) followed by nutritional counseling and the experimental period (12-36 week) followed by 200 kcal (837 kJ) of MHN-01 or dextrin-based standard balanced liquid formula (SBF) loading as a part of breakfast. In 16 of 41 subjects became to out of criteria for liquid formula loading study during control period (unqualified group). In the unqualified group, several biomarkers were improved. In experimental period, serum HbA1c levels significantly increased in SBF group (n = 12) but did not change in MHN-01 group (n = 10). Thus, intake of 837 kJ MHN-01 as a part of breakfast may be effective for suppression of deteriorating glucose metabolism in metabolic syndrome.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of 3 Screen Islet Cell Autoantibody in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the emergence of multiplex technology that can simultaneously measure multiple anti-islet autoantibodies has become particularly valuable for the staging and early diagnosis of immune-mediated type 1 diabetes (T1D). While it has been established that 20%-30% of T1D patients suffer from autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), there is limited available data regarding the presence of anti-islet autoantibodies in AITD patients. Among commercially available anti-islet autoantibodies, glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 autoantibodies (GADAs) are often the first marker measured in general clinical practice. AIM: To investigate the frequency of anti-islet autoantibodies in AITD patients. METHODS: Our study involved four hundred ninety-five AITD patients, categorized into three distinct groups: AITD with T1D (n = 18), AITD with phenotypic type 2 diabetes (T2D) (n = 81), and AITD without diabetes (n = 396), and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to determine the frequencies of 3 Screen Islet Cell Autoantibody (3 Screen ICA), GADA, insulinoma-associated antigen-2 autoantibodies (IA-2As), and zinc transporter 8 autoantibodies (ZnT8As) within these groups. RESULTS: The frequency of 3 Screen ICA in AITD patients with T1D, T2D, and those without diabetes were 88.9%, 6.2%, and 5.1%, respectively, with no significant difference seen between the latter two groups. Notably, the frequency of 3 Screen ICA was 11.1% higher in AITD patients with T1D, 1.3% higher in AITD patients with T2D, and 1.1% higher in AITD patients without diabetes compared to GADA, respectively. Furthermore, 12.5%, 20.0%, and 20.0% of the 3 Screen ICA-positive patients were negative for GADA. Additionally, 1.3% of the AITD patients who tested negative for 3 Screen ICA in both the AITD with T2D and non-diabetic AITD groups were found to be positive for individual autoantibodies. Among the 3 Screen ICA-positive patients, there was a significantly higher proportion of individuals with multiple autoantibodies in AITD patients with T1D compared to those without diabetes (37.5% vs 5.0%, P < 0.05). However, this proportion was similar to that in AITD patients with T2D (20.0%). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in 3 Screen ICA titers between AITD patients with T1D and those without diabetes (436.8 ± 66.4 vs 308.1 ± 66.4 index). Additionally, no significant difference in 3 Screen ICA titers was observed between Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in any of the groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal that some AITD patients without diabetes exhibit 3 Screen ICA titers comparable to those in AITD patients with T1D. Thus, 3 Screen ICA outperforms GADA in identifying latent anti-islet autoantibody-positive individuals among AITD patients.

New diagnostic criteria (2023) for slowly progressive type 1 diabetes (SPIDDM): Report from Committee on Type 1 Diabetes in Japan Diabetes Society (English version).

The diagnostic criteria for slowly progressive type 1 diabetes (slowly progressive insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; SPIDDM) have been revised by the Committee on Type 1 Diabetes of the Japan Diabetes Society. All of the following three criteria must be met for "a definitive diagnosis of SPIDDM": (1) presence of anti-islet autoantibodies at some point in time during the disease course; (2) absence of ketosis or ketoacidosis at the diagnosis of diabetes with no requirement of insulin treatment to correct hyperglycemia immediately after diagnosis in principle; and (3) gradual decrease of insulin secretion over time, with insulin treatment required at more than 3 months after diagnosis, and presence of severe endogenous insulin deficiency (fasting serum C-peptide immunoreactivity < 0.6 ng/mL) at the last observed point in time. When a patient fulfills the only (1) and (2), but not (3), he/she is diagnosed with "SPIDDM (probable)" because the diabetes is non-insulin-dependent state.

New diagnostic criteria (2023) for slowly progressive type 1 diabetes (SPIDDM): Report from Committee on Type 1 Diabetes of the Japan Diabetes Society (English version).

The diagnostic criteria for slowly progressive type 1 diabetes (slowly progressive insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; SPIDDM) have been revised by the Committee on Type 1 Diabetes of the Japan Diabetes Society. All of the following three criteria must be met for 'a definitive diagnosis of SPIDDM': (1) presence of anti-islet autoantibodies at some point in time during the disease course; (2) absence of ketosis or ketoacidosis at the diagnosis of diabetes with no requirement for insulin treatment to correct hyperglycemia immediately after diagnosis in principle; and (3) gradual decrease of insulin secretion over time, with insulin treatment required at more than 3 months after diagnosis, and the presence of severe endogenous insulin deficiency (fasting serum C-peptide immunoreactivity <0.6 ng/mL) at the last observed point in time. When a patient fulfills only (1) and (2), but not (3), he/she is diagnosed with 'SPIDDM (probable)' because the diabetes is non-insulin-dependent type.

Prediction of future insulin-deficiency in glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-positive patients with slowly-progressive type 1 diabetes.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to identify risk factors that contribute to the progression of slowly-progressive type 1 diabetes by evaluating the positive predictive value (PPV) of factors associated with the progression to an insulin-dependent state. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected 60 slowly-progressive type 1 diabetes patients who tested positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA) at diagnosis from the Japanese Type 1 Diabetes Database Study. GADA levels in these patients were concurrently measured using both radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. RESULTS: Compared with the non-progressor group (fasting C-peptide [F-CPR] levels maintained ≥0.6 ng/mL), the progressor group showed a younger age at diagnosis, lower body mass index (BMI), lower F-CPR levels and a higher prevalence of insulinoma-associated antigen-2 autoantibodies (IA-2A). The PPV of RIA-GADA increased from 56.3 to 70.0% in the high titer group (≥10 U/mL), and further increased to 76.9, 84.2, 81.0 and 75.0% when combined with specific thresholds for age at diagnosis <47 years, BMI <22.6 kg/m2, F-CPR <1.41 ng/mL and IA-2A positivity, respectively. In contrast, the PPV of ELISA-GADA (71.8%) remained the same at 73.1% in the high titer group (≥180 U/mL), but increased to 81.8, 82.4 and 79.0% when evaluated in conjunction with age at diagnosis, BMI and F-CPR level, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that, unlike RIA-GADA, ELISA-GADA shows no association between GADA titers and the risk of progression to an insulin-dependent state. The PPV improves when age at diagnosis, BMI and F-CPR levels are considered in combination.

A low-frequency GLIS3 variant associated with resistance to Japanese type 1 diabetes.

The role of low-frequency variants in type 1 diabetes (T1D) susceptibility still remains to be clarified. In the present study, we analyzed low-frequency variants of the T1D candidate genes in Japanese. We first screened for protein-changing variants of 24 T1D candidate genes in 96 T1D patients and 96 control subjects, and then the association with T1D was tested in 706 T1D patients and 863 control subjects recruited from the collaborating institutions in Japan. In total, 56 protein-changing variants were discovered; among them, 34 were low-frequency variants (allele frequency < 5%). The association analysis of the low-frequency variants revealed that only the A908V variant of GLIS3 was strongly associated with resistance to T1D (Haldane's odds ratio = 0.046, p = 8.21 × 10(-4), and pc=2.22 × 10(-2)). GLIS3 is a zinc finger transcription factor that is highly expressed in pancreatic beta cells, and regulates beta cell development and insulin gene expression. GLIS3 mRNA is also moderately expressed in the human thymus. The precise mechanism responsible for the association is unclear at present, but the A908V variant may affect autoimmunity to the GLIS3 protein itself; the 908V containing epitope may induce central or peripheral tolerance more efficiently than that of 908A.

Improving diagnostic accuracy of 3 Screen ICA ELISA kit in the identification of Japanese type 1 diabetes.

AIM/INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the clinical utility of 3 Screen ICA ELISA in identifying immune-mediated type 1 diabetes in Japanese subjects. METHODS: We compared the positivity of 3 Screen ICA were compared with autoantibodies against GAD, IA-2, and ZnT8 in 638 patients with type 1 diabetes and 159 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: With a cut-off value of 20.0 index, 67.4% of acute-onset type 1 diabetic patients, 71.8% of slowly progressive type 1 diabetic (SPIDDM) patients, and none of the fulminant type 1 diabetic patients showed 3 Screen ICA levels above this threshold. The prevalence of 3 Screen ICA was 14.2% higher in acute-onset type 1 diabetes and 1.6% higher in SPIDDM than in GADA. 3 Screen ICA-positive cases were found in 4.8% of cases of individual autoantibody-negative acute-onset type 1 diabetes and 3.8% of SPIDDM, indicating improved diagnostic sensitivity with the 3 Screen ICA. Among individual autoantibody-negative patients, the sum of each autoantibody level was significantly lower in fulminant type 1 diabetes than in acute onset type 1 diabetes and in SPIDDM (P < 0.0001). Additionally, 84.2% of patients negative for individual autoantibodies but positive for 3 Screen ICA had a sum of individual autoantibody levels of ≥4.7 U/mL. Furthermore, 3 Screen ICA levels were significantly higher in patients with type 1 diabetes with other autoimmune diseases than in those without (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the 3 Screen ICA ELISA may be a valuable screening tool for Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes, potentially increasing the diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy beyond the existing GADA, IA-2A, and ZnT8A tests.

Risk of fetal undergrowth in the management of gestational diabetes mellitus in Japan.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: In Japan, the increasing frequency of underweight among women of reproductive age and the accompanying increase in the rate of low birth weight (LBW) are social issues. The study aimed to establish a prospective registry system for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Japan and to clarify the actual status of GDM according to the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and those in the normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group were enrolled in the Diabetes and Pregnancy Outcome for Mother and Baby study from October 2015. Pregnant women with positive glucose screening in early and mid-to-late pregnancy underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test by gestational week 32. Gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed according to IADPSG criteria. Women with a positive glucose screening test at mid-to-late pregnancy but NGT were enrolled as references (NGT group). Treatment for gestational diabetes mellitus and maternal and neonatal pregnancy data were prospectively collected on outcomes. RESULTS: In total 1,795 singleton pregnancies (878 women with GDM and 824 NGT women) were analyzed. The risk of LBW and small-for-gestational age in the GDM group was significantly higher than in the NGT group. A similar relationship was found for LBW risk in the non-overweight/obese group but not in the overweight/obese group. CONCLUSIONS: We established a prospective GDM registry system in Japan. In the management of GDM in Japan, suppression of maternal weight gain may be associated with reduced fetal growth, especially in non-overweight/obese women with GDM; however, further investigation is required.

Comparing the clinical significance and antigen specificity of insulinoma-associated antigen-2 autoantibodies between radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance and antigen specificity of autoantibodies to insulinoma-associated antigen-2 (IA-2A) by radioimmunoassay (RIA; IA-2A-RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; IA-2A-ELISA) in Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 338 type 1 diabetic patients were enrolled, including 38 fulminant type 1 diabetes, 168 acute-onset type 1 diabetes and 137 slowly-progressive type 1 diabetes (SPIDDM). The concordance, correlation of autoantibody titer, and the relationship between IA-2A and progression to the insulin-deficient state were examined. Also, competitive assay was used to examine the antigen specificity. RESULTS: The prevalence of IA-2A-ELISA was 4-5% lower than that of IA-2A-RIA in both the acute-onset type 1 diabetes and SPIDDM, but the diagnostic sensitivities of both subtypes, when measured in combination with glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody, were comparable. The diagnosis of type 1 diabetes using either the RIA or ELISA methods showed substantial agreement with the exponential correlation of autoantibody titers detected by RIA and ELISA. Among the SPIDDM patients, the fasting C-peptide for IA-2A-positive cases by ELISA, but not the RIA method, was significantly lower than in the negative cases (P < 0.05). Furthermore, IA-2A-ELISA proved superior to the RIA method in predicting the progression to insulin deficiency in SPIDDM. Competitive analysis showed that even sera with discrepant results by RIA and ELISA have IA-2-specific autoantibodies. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that IA-2A-ELISA is a reliable marker not only for the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, but also for the prediction of future insulin dependency; that is, detection of IA-2A-ELISA helps identify a subtype of SPIDDM patients who would likely progress onto insulin-deficient state.

Bivalent GAD autoantibody ELISA improves clinical utility and risk prediction for adult autoimmune diabetes.

AIM/INTRODUCTION: To investigate the differences in the clinical significance and glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody (GADA) affinity between RIA (RIA-GADA) and ELISA (ELISA-GADA) in patients with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: A total of 415 patients with type 1 diabetes were enrolled, including 199 acute-onset type 1 diabetes, 168 slowly progressive type 1 diabetes (SPIDDM), and 48 fulminant type 1 diabetes. GADA affinity was measured by a competitive binding experiment using unlabeled recombinant human GAD65 protein, and the diagnostic performance of both assays and the relationship between GADA affinity and the decline of fasting C-peptide (F-CPR) were examined. RESULTS: While the ELISA-GADA displayed a higher sensitivity than the RIA method in diagnosing type 1 diabetes in acute-onset patients, about 40% of SPIDDM patients with low-titer RIA-GADA were determined as negative by the ELISA method. Patients with type 1 diabetes with RIA-GADA alone had an older age of onset, less diabetic ketoacidosis, a higher BMI, and a higher F-CPR compared with patients positive for both RIA-GADA and ELISA-GADA. Additionally, 36% of RIA-GADA-positive patients had low-affinity GADA (<1010 L/mol), which was significantly higher than in the ELISA-GADA-positive patients (4%, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, over a 3 year monitoring period, F-CPR levels decreased in ELISA-GADA-positive SPIDDM, whereas it was maintained in patients with RIA-GADA alone, regardless of GADA affinity. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that bivalent ELISA for GADA is superior to the RIA method in diagnosing type 1 diabetes. Moreover, the diagnostic superiority of the ELISA-GADA made possible the concurrent identification of SPIDDM patients at high-risk of early progression, and allowed for more accurate clinical diagnosis and management.

ZnT8 and type 1 diabetes.

Zinc is essential for the proper storage, secretion, and the action of insulin and is transported from cytoplasm to insulin secretory granules in the pancreatic ß-cells by SLC30A zinc transporters (ZnT). ZnT8 is specifically expressed in the pancreatic ß-cells and has been identified as a novel target autoantigen in patients with type 1 diabetes. Autoantibodies to ZnT8 (ZnT8A) are detected in 50-60% of Japanese patients with acute-onset and 20% with slow-onset type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, humoral autoreactivity to ZnT8 is unique in terms of a key determinant, which is not reported on other islet autoantigens such as insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase, or the protein tyrosine phosphatase-related molecules IA-2. Type 2 diabetes-associated nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism in SLC30A8 (the gene of ZnT8), rs13266634 (Arg325Trp), modulates ZnT8A specificities thereby indicating that this amino acid substitution has the critical role in antibody binding. The humoral autoreactivity to ZnT8 depends on the clinical phenotype, which may provide clues to understand the role of this protein in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes.

A case of glycogenic hepatopathy developed in a patient with new-onset fulminant type 1 diabetes: the role of image modalities in diagnosing hepatic glycogen deposition including gradient-dual-echo MRI.

Glycogenic hepatopathy (GH) has been reported as a very rare and under recognized complication in long-standing poorly controlled type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients. GH is characterized by transient elevation of liver transaminase and hepatomegaly caused by reversible and excessive glycogen accumulation in hepatocytes. It has been reported that GH is indistinguishable from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is more commonly seen in diabetic patients, even after a history is taken and a physical examination or imaging studies have been performed. GH can only be diagnosed by liver biopsy. We here demonstrate a 21-year-old male patient with new-onset fulminant T1D complicated with diabetic ketoacidosis who subsequently developed GH just after the initiation of insulin treatment. The marked liver dysfunction (serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase 769 IU/L and alanine aminotransferase 1348 IU/L) and hepatomegaly improved spontaneously via glycemic control without any specific treatments thereafter. Moreover, the insulin requirement dramatically decreased from 168 to 80 units per day as GH improved, suggesting a potential role of GH in insulin resistance. GH was diagnosed based on the histological findings of the liver in our case, but we were able to predict GH before the biopsy based on the findings in the gradient-dual-echo magnetic resonance imaging sequence combined with ultrasound and/or computed tomography examinations of the liver.

Development of type 1 diabetes in a patient treated with anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody for rheumatoid arthritis.

Interleukin-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a pathogenic role in type 1 diabetes. Therefore, anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab, used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is considered a candidate for immune intervention in type 1 diabetes. Here, we report the case of a 73-year-old woman (HLA-DR9-DQ3 homozygote) with well-controlled rheumatoid arthritis who developed type 1 diabetes while receiving tocilizumab treatment. At 57 years-of-age, the patient was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, for which she underwent tocilizumab therapy that enabled complete suppression of her joint inflammation. A total of 17 months after starting tocilizumab therapy, she noticed polydipsia, polyuria, general fatigue and weight reduction (-2 kg/month), and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes with diabetic ketoacidosis based on an arterial pH of 7.26, serum ketone body of 7,437 µmol/L, blood glucose level of 925 mg/dL, glycated hemoglobin of 13.2% and the presence of anti-islet autoantibodies. This case report shows valuable insight regarding the effect of anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody therapy on type 1 diabetes prevention.

Recurrent Hypoglycemia Due to a High Titer of Insulin Antibody in Response to Exogenous Insulin Administration in Two Cases of Type 1 Diabetes.

In the first case, a 60-year-old man who was using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII), developed recurrent hypoglycemia due to insulin antibodies. This is the first report of such a case using CSII. In the second case, a 70-year-old man was follow-up case who developed hypoglycemia while using human insulin. In both cases, the hypoglycemia subsided after switching to multiple daily insulin injection and/or insulin preparation. The results of Scatchard analyses of the two cases were similar to those of cases of insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS) that improved after recovery from hypoglycemia.The clinical characteristics and Scatchard analysis data were essentially the same as those for IAS, except for the presence of insulin administration.

Japanese Type 1 Diabetes Database Study (TIDE-J): rationale and study design.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is classified into three subtypes: acute-onset, slowly progressive, and fulminant T1D, according to the heterogeneity of clinical course in Japan. Although several cross-sectional databases of T1D have been reported, prospective longitudinal databases to investigate clinical outcomes are lacking in our country. Therefore, we herein construct multi-center prospective longitudinal database of the three subtypes of T1D, accompanied with genetic information and biobanking, which is named Japanese Type 1 Diabetes Database Study (TIDE-J). Inclusion criteria of this study are as follows: (1) the duration of T1D was less than 5 years, (2) the patients had one or more islet-related autoantibodies and/or fasting serum C-peptide levels were less than 1.0 ng/mL, (3) the patients could clearly understand the study consent in writing. In the TIDE-J, clinical data, including glycemic control, endogenous insulin secretion, islet-related autoantibodies, diabetic complications, and treatment, are collected annually using electric data collection system, which is named REDCap. Furthermore, HLA genotypes of each participant were analyzed at entry and the blood samples were stored for assessing exploratory markers and further genetic analysis annually. The TIDE-J certainly helps in revealing distinct clinical course of each T1D subtype. Moreover, this database may help in identifying novel markers for diagnosing each subtype of T1D and predicting clinical outcomes (including pancreatic beta cell function and disease severity) in patients.

Clinical impact of cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with suspected coronary artery disease associated with chronic kidney disease (AQUAMARINE-CKD study): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Although screening for coronary artery disease (CAD) using computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with stable chest pain has been reported to be beneficial, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) might have limited benefit due to complications of contrast agent nephropathy and decreased diagnostic accuracy as a result of coronary artery calcifications. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as a novel imaging modality for detecting coronary stenosis and high-risk coronary plaques without contrast media that is not affected by coronary artery calcification. However, the clinical use of this technology has not been robustly evaluated. METHODS: AQUAMARINE-CKD is an open parallel-group prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial of 524 patients with CKD at high risk for CAD estimated based on risk factor categories for a Japanese urban population (Suita score) recruited from 6 institutions. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to receive a CMR examination that includes non-contrast T1-weighted imaging and coronary magnetic angiography (CMR group) or standard examinations that include stress myocardial scintigraphy (control group). Randomization will be conducted using a web-based system. The primary outcome is a composite of cardiovascular events at 1 year after study examinations: all-cause death, death from CAD, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal ischemic stroke, and ischemia-driven unplanned coronary intervention (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary bypass surgery). DISCUSSION: If the combination of T1-weighted imaging and coronary magnetic angiography contributes to the risk assessment of CAD in patients with CKD, this study will have major clinical implications for the management of patients with CKD at high risk for CAD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT) 1,052,210,075. Registered on September 10, 2021.

Differences in the humoral autoreactivity to zinc transporter 8 between childhood- and adult-onset type 1 diabetes in Japanese patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the humoral autoreactivity to zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) depending on the clinical phenotype of type 1 diabetes (T1D). ZnT8 autoantibodies (ZnT8A) were determined by radioimmunoassay using carboxy-terminal ZnT8 constructs in 57 childhood-onset, 97 adult-onset, and 85 fulminant T1D. The ZnT8A frequency was higher in childhood-onset patients and decreased with increasing age of onset from 70% to 24% (P(trend)<0.005). None of the patients with fulminant T1D was positive for ZnT8A. There were at least two distinct ZnT8A epitope patterns associated with the aa325-restriction, childhood-onset patients have aa325-nonrestricted response more frequently compared to the adult-onset group (P<0.05). The level of ZnT8A was inversely associated with the copy number of HLA-DR4 allele (P<0.05). These results suggest differences in the humoral autoreactivity to ZnT8 depending on the clinical phenotype, which should provide strategy for autoantibody measurement in subjects to allow early diagnosis of autoimmune T1D.