Metformin and changes in serum lipid profile in lean patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Introduction: The aim of our study was to assess the values of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides before and after treatment with metformin in lean patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Material and Methods: 32 patients received metformin 1500 mg per day in three divided doses. Lipids measurements were performed twice: before and after 6 months of treatment with metformin. Results: In lean patients with PCOS after treatment with metformin we observed: statistically significant lower LDL-C levels (4.16±0.79 mmol/l vs 3.4±0.86 mmol/l, p<0.05) and triglycerides levels (1.8±0.53 mmol/l vs 1.12±0.64 mmol/l, p<0.05). We observed an increase in HDL values and a decrease in total cholesterol values, but these changes were not statistically significant (1.5±0.71 mmol/l vs 1.71±0.69 mmol/l, p=0.09; 5.87±0.92 mmol/l vs 5.69±0.97 mmol/l, p=0.11). Conclusion: Our study showed that treatment of 1500 mg metformin for about six months among PCOS women results in an improvement in serum lipid profiles. We observed a significant decrease in LDL-C and triglycerides values after metformin therapy.

Increased prevalence of celiac disease and its clinical picture among patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 - observations from a single pediatric center in Central Europe.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study was to analyze the incidence and the clinical characteristic of celiac disease (CD) in pediatric population with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of 880 patients with T1DM, 429 girls, mean age 12.14 ±4.0 years was retrospectively retrieved from medical records. Patients with T1DM and CD were selected and a detailed analysis of CD prevalence and its clinical characteristic at the time of CD diagnosis was performed. The data were compared with the previous data from our center published a decade ago. RESULTS: CD was suspected in 85/880 patients (9.65%) on the base of results of serological tests, but finally CD was diagnosed in 73/880 patients with T1DM (8.3%), in 53/429 girls (12.3%) and in 20/451 boys (4.4%). Most patients (71%) had CD diagnosed after T1DM onset. The majority of CD patients (72%) was asymptomatic. The CD diagnosis was not associated with inappropriate metabolic control of diabetes. The onset age of diabetes in children with CD was significantly lower than in those without CD (5.8 ±3.6 years vs. 7.56 ±4.0 years, p = 0.04). The prevalence of CD is significantly higher than a decade ago in our center (8.3% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In light of increasing prevalence of mainly asymptomatic CD in patients with T1DM, CD screening is necessary. However positive serological tests, which are currently used in screening, and are the first step of diagnostics, in some patients allow only to suspect the CD and further diagnostic steps should be performed.