Evaluation of Efficacy, Efficiency, and Cell Viability of a Novel Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty Graft Preparation Device, DescePrep, in Nondiabetic and Diabetic Human Donor Corneas.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and efficiency of a Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) graft preparation device, DescePrep, through measurement of graft viability, yield, and preparation time in both healthy and diabetic (high-risk) donor eyes. METHODS: Twenty nondiabetic and 10 diabetic donor corneas were processed using DescePrep, which standardizes the liquid bubble technique. Corneas were stained with trypan blue and then processed. Cell counts through specular microscopy, optical coherence tomography imaging, and slit-lamp analysis were used for the evaluation of graft separation and viability in 5 nondiabetic corneas. The remaining 25 corneas (15 nondiabetic and 10 diabetic) were evaluated for preparation success rate and processing time. Ten corneas (5 nondiabetic and 5 diabetic) were randomly selected for further evaluation of global cell loss through staining. RESULTS: Ninety-seven percent of corneas (29 of 30) were prepared successfully with DescePrep. The average preparation time was 2.83 ± 1.8 minutes. There was no significant difference in the time of preparation between the nondiabetic and diabetic groups (P = 0.077). The overall average cell death after processing was 7.9% ± 3.7% for all corneas. There was no significant difference in cell viability between diabetic and nondiabetic tissues after DescePrep processing (P = 0.769). CONCLUSIONS: DescePrep is a new DMEK preparation technique that can process both nondiabetic and diabetic donor corneas at high yields in minutes. High-yield preparation of diabetic corneas may offer eye banks access to a larger donor pool, which is important because the demand for DMEK grafts continues to rise worldwide.

Vitrectomized versus non-vitrectomized eyes in diabetic macular edema response to ranibizumab-retinal layers thickness as prognostic biomarkers.

To evaluate the role of the vitreous in the management of diabetic macular edema with ranibizumab intravitreal injections in a pro re nata regimen. Prospective study of 50 consecutive eyes with diabetic macular edema treated with ranibizumab and 12 months of follow-up. Primary endpoint: to assess differences between non-vitrectomized and vitrectomized eyes in the number injections needed to control the edema. Secondary endpoints: comparison of groups regarding best corrected visual acuity, central foveal thickness and thickness of seven retinal layers. 46 eyes from 38 patients, 10 vitrectomized and 36 non-vitrectomized, completed the follow-up. At month 12, the two groups achieved an equivalent anatomical outcome and needed a similar number of ranibizumab intravitreal injections. In vitrectomized eyes final visual acuity was worse when baseline retinal nerve fiber layers in the central foveal subfield were thicker, showing a strong correlation (r = - 0.942, p < 0.001). A similar, albeit moderate correlation was observed in non-vitrectomized eyes (r = - 0.504, p = 0.002). A decrease of retinal nerve fiber layers inner ring thickness was correlated with a better final visual acuity only in vitrectomized eyes (r = 0.734, p = 0.016). The effect of diabetic macular edema seems to be worse in vitrectomized eyes, with a thinner inner retina reservoir.Clinicaltrials.govNCT04387604.

Complications from ankle arthrodesis in diabetes-related Charcot foot syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN) is an inflammatory arthropathy associated with bony destruction, dislocation, and deformity in patients with neuropathy. Surgical procedures involving foot and ankle in CN for deformity correction have been shown to result in high rate of complications. The purpose of this study was to compare post-operative outcomes and assess odds of complication after ankle arthrodesis among patients with diabetes-related Charcot neuroarthropathy, non-Charcot patients with diabetes, and non-Charcot patients without diabetes. METHODS: The PearlDiver Patient Records Database was queried for patients who underwent ankle fusion and maintained at least one year of post-operative follow-up. The following post-operative complications were assessed among groups: overall nonunion and amputation, one-year nonunion, amputation, and hardware removal, 90-day and 30-day surgical site infection, dehiscence, acute kidney injury, and pneumonia, and 90-day myocardial infarction and deep vein thrombosis. The odds and prevalence of each complication for each group were assessed and compared. RESULTS: Higher rates of amputation (OR 3.43, CI 2.89-4.06), hardware removal (OR 1.63, CI 1.45-1.83), wound dehiscence (OR 1.75, CI 1.44-2.13), acute kidney injury (OR 2.87, CI 2.32-3.54), pneumonia (OR 1.53, CI 1.13-2.07), and surgical site infection (OR 2.46, CI 2.12-2.85), were observed in patients with diabetes-related CN compared to non-Charcot patients with diabetes. In patients without CN, higher rates of nonunion (OR 1.38, CI 1.19-1.61), amputation (OR 2.26, CI 1.74-2.93), surgical site infection (OR 1.57, CI 1.30-1.90), and acute kidney injury (OR 1.57, CI 1.18-2.09) were observed in patients with diabetes compared to patients without diabetes. Time to hardware removal was significantly shorter in diabetes-related Charcot patients compared to non-Charcot patients without diabetes (368.0 ± 446.7 vs 438.5 ± 487.5 days, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with diabetes demonstrated increased odds of nonunion, amputation, surgical site infection, and acute kidney injury compared to patients without diabetes. In the population of patients with diabetes, odds of most of these complications were further increased with the addition of Charcot diagnosis compared to patients without diabetes. Other local and multisystemic medical conditions, including pneumonia and wound dehiscence, also demonstrated increased odds in patients of CN. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Inferior survival outcomes of pancreas transplant alone in uremic patients.

Theoretically, pancreas transplant alone in uremic (PTAU) patients could also be one of the options for those waiting for both pancreas and kidney grafts, but it has never been reported. There were 160 cases of pancreas transplant in this study, including 16% PTAU. The 5-year patient survival was 66.2% after PTAU, 94.5% after SPK, 95.8% after PAK, and 95.4% after PTA. Rejection of pancreas graft was significantly lower in PTAU group (3.8%), followed by 16.7% in pancreas after kidney transplant (PAK), 29.8% in simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant (SPK) and 37.0% in pancreas transplant alone (PTA). Fasting blood sugar and serum HbA1c levels after PTAU were not significantly different from those by other subgroups. The 5-year death-censored pancreas graft survival was 100% after PTAU and PAK, and 97.0% after SPK and 77.9% after PTA. However, the 5-year death-uncensored pancreas graft survival was 67.0% after PTAU, 100% after PAK, 91.3% after SPK, and 74.0% after PTA. The superior graft survival in the PTAU group was achieved only if deaths with a functioning graft were censored. In conclusion, given the inferior patient survival outcome, PTAU is still not recommended unless SPK and PAK is not available. Although PTAU could be a treatment option for patients with diabetes complicated by end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in terms of surgical risks, endocrine function, and immunological and graft survival outcomes, modification of the organ allocation policies to prioritize SPK transplant in eligible patients should be the prime goal.

Safety and Efficacy of 2 Intracavernous Injections of Allogeneic Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Diabetic Patients with Erectile Dysfunction: Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Stem cell therapy is a novel treatment with regenerative ability that can treat erectile dysfunction (ED). This phase 1/2 clinical trial (NCT02945449) using 2 consecutive intracavernous (IC) injections of allogeneic Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) was studied for the first time in the treatment of diabetic patients with ED. The primary outcome was to assess the safety and tolerability, and the secondary outcome was to assess the efficacy of 2 consecutive IC injections of allogeneic WJ-MSCs in diabetic ED. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two diabetic patients with refractory ED were included. Two consecutive IC injections of allogeneic WJ-MSCs were performed. Tolerability was assessed immediately, and at 24 h, safety was evaluated for 12 months. Efficacy was assessed using International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), Erection Hardness Score (EHS), and Color Duplex Doppler Ultrasound for 12 months. RESULTS: The procedure was well-tolerated. Minimal and transient adverse events were redness and bruising at the site of injections. There were no patient-reported serious adverse effects. There were significant improvements in IIEF-5, EHS, peak systolic velocity (PSV) basal, and 20-min PSV, all over the follow-up time points in comparison to the baseline. CONCLUSION: This is the first human study with proven tolerability, safety, and efficacy of IC injections of allogeneic WJ-MSCs for the treatment of diabetic patients with ED.

The Effect of Controlled Diabetes and Hyperglycemia on Implant Placement with Simultaneous Horizontal Guided Bone Regeneration: A Clinical Retrospective Analysis.

Diabetes represents a challenge in implant therapy because hyperglycemia may negatively affect bone regeneration, directly compromising clinical outcomes and increasing clinical failures. The aim of this retrospective study is to analyse the prognostic significance of HbA1c levels in patients undergoing implant placement associated with horizontal guided bone regeneration. Thirty-four patients were divided into 3 groups according to their HbA1c levels: nondiabetic normoglycemic patients (HbA1c < 5.7%), nondiabetic hyperglycemic patients (HbA1c < 6.5%), and controlled diabetic patients (HbA1c < 7%). Primary outcomes were dimensional changes in height (VDH) and width (DW) of the peri-implant defect. Secondary outcomes were evaluations of periodontal parameters of adjacent tooth sites, wound healing, marginal bone loss (MBL), and survival and success rates. At T 1 (6 months), mean VDH values in groups 1, 2, and 3 were, respectively, 0.07, 0.5, and 0.25 mm. Mean DW values in those same groups were, respectively, 0.07, 0.38, and 0.33 mm. HbA1c levels were not statistically related to VDH and DW values at T 1. No statistically significant differences were observed in MBL between groups (p = 0.230). Implant survival and success rates were, respectively, 98% and 96%. Simultaneous guided bone regeneration is a feasible procedure for the treatment of horizontal bone deficiencies in controlled diabetic patients.

The effect of using the minimized cardio-pulmonary bypass Systems for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in diabetic patients.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple studies have shown a decrease in the inflammatory response with minimized bypass circuits leading to less complications and mortality rate. On the other hand, some other studies showed that there is no difference in post-operative outcomes. So, the aim of this study is to investigate the clinical benefits of using the Minimized cardiopulmonary Bypass system in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and its effect on postoperative morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients as one of the high-risk groups that may benefit from these systems. METHODS: This is a retrospective study that included 114 diabetic patients who underwent Coronary artery bypass grafting (67 patients with conventional cardiopulmonary bypass system and 47 with Minimized cardiopulmonary bypass system). The patients' demographics, intra-operative characteristics and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Coronary artery bypass grafting was done on a beating heart less commonly in the conventional cardiopulmonary bypass group (44.78% vs. 63.83%, p = 0.045). There was no difference between the two groups in blood loss or transfusion requirements. Four patients in the conventional cardiopulmonary bypass group suffered perioperative myocardial infarction while no one had perioperative myocardial infarction in the Minimized cardiopulmonary bypass group. On the other hand, less patients in the conventional group had postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (4.55% vs. 27.5%, p = 0.001). The requirements for Adrenaline and Nor-Adrenaline infusions were more common the conventional group than the Minimized group. CONCLUSION: The use of conventional cardiopulmonary bypass for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in diabetic patients was associated with higher use of postoperative vasogenic and inotropic support. However, that did not translate into higher complications rate or mortality.

Is the Preoperative Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Level Predictive of the Severity of Diabetic Hand Infection According to Surgical and Clinical Outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: We purposed to investigate whether preoperative HbA1c level is associated with the severity of surgical treatment in diabetic hand infection cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between December 2015 and October 2018, 102 patients were surgically treated due to diabetic hand infection. Of the patients, 75 who met the criteria for diabetic hand infection were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1, < 8.5% HbA1c level (poorly controlled); and Group 2, 8.5% or higher HbA1c level (uncontrolled). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were recorded. Drainage, VAC, ray/open amputation, and microsurgical reconstruction were performed according to the examination and clinical findings. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The study groups consisted of 41 patients (5 female/36 male; median age 59 years, range 32-68) in Group 1 and 34 patients (6 female/28 male; median age 62 years, range 28-67) in Group 2. The mean follow-up period was 21.14±10.42 months in Group 1 and 16.70±10.19 months in Group 2, which were not significantly different (p>0.05). The most common microbiological pathogen was polymicrobial in both study groups (39% in Group 1 and 41.2% in Group 2). Drainage was the most common surgical procedure in both groups and there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the surgical techniques that were used (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Although HbA1c level is an important biomarker for monitoring glycemia in diabetic patients, it is not associated with the severity of surgical treatment in diabetic hand infections.

Prognostic Interplay of Chronic Kidney Disease, Anemia, and Diabetes in Coronary Bypass Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease and anemia often coexist and may accompany diabetes; all 3 conditions are associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes. This study investigated the prognostic implications of anemia and chronic kidney disease for mortality among patients undergoing coronary artery-bypass grafting surgery and examined whether outcomes are related to the presence of diabetes. METHODS: This retrospective study included 1180 patients undergoing coronary artery-bypass grafting. Long-term mortality (mean follow-up, 8.6 ± 4.2 years) was examined in relation to preoperative anemia, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes. Prognostic interplay of the 3 risk factors was evaluated. RESULTS: Chronic kidney disease, anemia, and diabetes (20%, 25%, and 43% of patients, respectively), were independent risk predictors for mortality. Compared with patients with neither chronic kidney disease nor anemia, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality were 1.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35 to 2.59) in chronic kidney disease only, 1.75 (95% CI, 1.30 to 2.35) in anemia only, and 2.69 (95% CI, 1.91 to 3.78) in patients with both conditions. The pattern of association of chronic kidney disease and anemia with mortality was similar in patients with and without diabetes. However, mortality risk was higher in patients with diabetes in each risk category-neither chronic kidney disease nor anemia: HR, 1.69 (95% CI, 1.20 to 2.39) vs HR, 1 (reference); chronic kidney disease only: HR, 2.68 (95% CI, 1.59 to 4.52) vs HR, 2.10 (95% CI, 1.38 to 3.20); anemia only: HR, 2.73 (95% CI, 1.83 to 4.07) vs HR, 1.94 (95% CI, 1.23 to 3.08); and both chronic kidney disease and anemia: HR, 4.44 (95% CI, 2.88 to 6.85) vs HR, 2.72 (95% CI, 1.58 to 4.69). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing coronary artery-bypass grafting, anemia and chronic kidney disease have significant prognostic implications for long-term mortality. Their effect on mortality was cumulatively associated with adverse impacts of diabetes.

Clinicopathological and prognostic features of operable non-small cell lung cancer patients with diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic features of operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: A total of 1231 surgically resected NSCLC patients were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathological characteristics were compared between patients with DM (DM group, n = 139) and those without DM (non-DM group, n = 1092). The clinical factors associated with postoperative complications and prognostic factors were identified. RESULTS: The DM group had distinct clinicopathological features. No significant differences in histological invasiveness or stage were found. The presence and control status of DM were independent predictors of postoperative complications. No significant differences in recurrence-free survival or cancer-specific survival were observed; however, the DM group had worse overall survival (OS). The DM group had a higher number of deaths from other diseases than the non-DM group, and these patients had significantly higher postoperative hemoglobin A1c levels than patients with cancer-related death. CONCLUSION: The presence and control status of preoperative DM are useful predictors of both postoperative complications and OS in operable NSCLC patients. Concomitant diabetes-related complications have a negative effect on long-term survival in diabetic NSCLC patients, and long-term glycemic control is important to prolong OS.

Diabetes Remission Status During Seven-year Follow-up of the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery Study.

CONTEXT: Few studies have examined the clinical characteristics that predict durable, long-term diabetes remission after bariatric surgery. OBJECTIVE: To compare diabetes prevalence and remission rates during 7-year follow-up after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and laparoscopic gastric banding (LAGB). DESIGN: An observational cohort of adults with severe obesity recruited between 2006 and 2009 who completed annual research assessments for up to 7 years after RYGB or LAGB. SETTING: Ten US hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: A total sample of 2256 participants, 827 with known diabetes status at both baseline and at least 1 follow-up visit. INTERVENTIONS: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or LAGB. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diabetes rates and associations of patient characteristics with remission status. RESULTS: Diabetes remission occurred in 57% (46% complete, 11% partial) after RYGB and 22.5% (16.9% complete, 5.6% partial) after LAGB. Following both procedures, remission was greater in younger participants and those with shorter diabetes duration, higher C-peptide levels, higher homeostatic model assessment of ß-cell function (HOMA %B), and lower insulin usage at baseline, and with greater postsurgical weight loss. After LAGB, reduced HOMA insulin resistance (IR) was associated with a greater likelihood of diabetes remission, whereas increased HOMA-%B predicted remission after RYGB. Controlling for weight lost, diabetes remission remained nearly 4-fold higher compared with LAGB. CONCLUSIONS: Durable, long-term diabetes remission following bariatric surgery is more likely when performed soon after diagnosis when diabetes medication burden is low and beta-cell function is preserved. A greater weight-independent likelihood of diabetes remission after RYGB than LAGB suggests mechanisms beyond weight loss contribute to improved beta-cell function after RYGB.Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00465829.

Long-term outcome of persons with diabetic and non-diabetic neuro-osteoarthropathy after foot correction using external fixation.

AIM: Diabetic neuro-osteoarthropathy (Charcot foot) is a serious form of diabetic foot syndrome, often leading to severe deformity of the foot and subsequently to ulcers and osteomyelitis. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the success rate and long-term outcomes for a Charcot foot operation using external fixation in 115 individuals who underwent surgery between July 2008 and December 2012. METHODS: Some 115 consecutive persons, 78 (68%) men and 37 (32%) women, were enrolled in this study. The eligibility criterion for this retrospective study was reconstructive foot surgery using a Hoffmann II external fixator in diabetic and non-diabetic neuro-osteoarthropathy. The main examination parameters in the follow-up were walking ability, amputation and mortality. Average follow-up was 5.7 (± 3.2) years. RESULTS: Ninety-seven per cent of people were able to walk after the operation with bespoke shoes or an orthosis. At follow-up, 77% were able to walk and 51% were fully mobile even outside the home. Subsequent amputations were performed in 29 individuals (26%), with 17 (15%) minor and 12 (11%) major amputations. Forty-seven individuals died before follow-up, the majority (53%) from cardiovascular events. Average survival time post surgery was 4.5 (± 2.9) years. CONCLUSION: Reconstruction surgery using external fixation is a very useful method for maintaining walking ability in the case of conservatively non-treatable diabetic and non-diabetic neuro-osteoarthropathy. Individuals with severe Charcot foot disease had a low rate of major amputations. Osteomyelitis was the main reason for major amputations.

Experiencia en Manejo de Pacientes con Covid19 en un Servicio de Cirugía / Covid19 Patients Management In A Surgical Service

Antecedentes: La pandemia de COVID-19 en Guatemala provocó el rebalse de los ya colapsados hospitales. Los servicios de otras especialidades además de Medicina Interna tuvieron que emplearse de lleno en atender la pandemia. En el Hospital General San Juan de Dios, el servicio de operados de emergencia atendió durante 4 meses pacientes con esta enfermedad, a cargo del personal quirúrgico, residentes de infectología y de medicina de emergencias para apoyar a la especialidad de Medicina Interna; mostrando la necesidad de la intervención de todas las especialidades en la atención a la pandemia. Material y Métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal sobre la experiencia del servicio de operados de Emergencia en la atención a pacientes con enfermedad COVID-19 de julio a octubre del 2020. Resultados: Se atendieron 178 pacientes con COVID-19, con predominio de sexo masculino 57%, con edades de 16 a 91 con una media de 65 años.70 pacientes eran hipertensos, 69 diabéticos y 13 con enfermedad renal. 169 casos tuvieron neumonía por SARS-COV2, 2 con choque y fallo orgánico múltiple. La mortalidad fue de 13 casos (7 %). Los medicamento más utilizados fueron las heparinas de bajo peso molecular. El 86 % recibió terapia con esteroides, 50% con anticuerpos monoclonales, especialmente tocilizumab. El antibiótico más usado fue la Ceftriaxona (32 %). 6 pacientes recibieron remdesivir (3%). CONCLUSIONES: Este estudio evidencia la experiencia del servicio de operados de emergencia durante la pandemia de COVID19, donde médicos no expertos en enfermedades virales infecciosas, aprendieron sobre la marcha el manejo de esta enfermedad. Un significativo número de pacientes fueron beneficiados con la implementación de estos servicios. El aprendizaje, las competencias y los servicios que presta el médico dedicado a urgencias debe adaptarse para responder a las necesidades de la población (AU)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic in Guatemala collapsed hospitals due to overflow. The services of other specialties in addition to Internal Medicine had to be fully used to attend the pandemic. At the San Juan de Dios General Hospital, the emergency surgery service treated patients with this disease for 4 months, in charge of surgical personnel, infectology residents and emergency medicine support the Internal Medicine specialty; showing the need for the intervention of all specialties in the care of the pandemic. METHODOLOGY: Cross-sectional descriptive study on the experience of the Emergency Service in caring for patients with COVID-19 disease from July to October 2020. Results: A total of 178 patients with COVID-19 were treated, with a male predominance of 57%, aged from 16 to 91 with an average of 65 years. In addition to COVID-19 disease, 70 patients were hypertensive, 69 diabetics, and 13 with kidney disease. 169 cases had SARS-COV2 pneumonia, 2 with shock and multiple organ failure. Mortality was 13 cases (7%). Because most of the cases required oxygen and were moderate, severe and severe, drug treatment was used with high frequency. The drug that was used the most was heparins in all cases, most of them low molecular weight. 86% received steroid therapy, 50% with monoclonal antibodies, especially tocilizumab. Antibiotics were used frequently, the majority (32%) received Ceftriaxone. 6 cases received remdesivir (3%). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded that doctors from all specialties join the response and fight against this disease. This study shows that all specialties have the capacity to handle patients with COVID-19 since internal medicine and related services have exceeded their capacity to care (AU)

LncRNA MALAT1 facilitates BM-MSCs differentiation into endothelial cells via targeting miR-206/VEGFA axis.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) implantation shows a repair effect on erectile function in diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) due to its differentiative capacity into endothelial cells (ECs) that contributes to endothelial repair. This study was designed to explore the functional role and mechanism of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in BM-MSCs-mediated DMED repairing. The DMED rat model was established and the erectile function was evaluated by calculating the intracavernous pressure (ICP)/mean arterial pressure (MAP) ratio in the DMED models with or without BM-MSCs implantation. The differentiation of BM-MSCs toward ECs was assessed by measuring the expression of EC-specific genes. RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assay were performed to explore the interaction between miR-206 and MALAT1 or VEGFA. BM-MSCs implantation improved the erectile function of DMED rats and increased MALAT1 expression. MALAT1 was time-dependently upregulated during the VEGF-induced BM-MSCs differentiation into ECs. Mechanistically, MALAT1 acted as a sponge of miR-206 to upregulate VEGFA expression, thereby promoting the differentiation of BM-MSCs into ECs. Moreover, MALAT1 silencing in vivo impaired the repairing effect of BM-MSCs on erectile dysfunction. Collectively, MALAT1 facilitates BM-MSCs differentiation into ECs via regulating miR-206/VEGFA axis.

Patient-level predictors of diabetes-related lower extremity amputations at a quaternary hospital in South Africa.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes-related lower extremity amputation has a major psycho-social and economic cost on the patient as well as a direct impact on financial expenditure within health facilities. AIM: This study aimed to determine the incidence and patient-related factors related to diabetes-related amputations amongst patients that were referred to the quaternary hospital between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2015. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study. Data were retrieved from the medical record for each diabetes patient that was managed at IALCH during the study period. The following variables were collected: sociodemographic parameters (age, gender, and ethnicity) and diabetes-related parameters (type of diabetes) and additional complications. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients (0, 73%) of all diabetes patients managed were new diabetes-related lower-extremity amputations. There were statistically significant increased odds of female patients (OR: 1, 7) and patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes (OR: 1, 64) to have new diabetes-related amputations. Patients older than 60 years (OR: 1, 31); African patients (OR: 1, 35) patients with cardiovascular complications (OR: 1, 04) and patients with retinopathy (OR: 1, 48) were more likely to have diabetes-related amputations but not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of primary preventive strategies, early detection and appropriate management of patients with diabetes and specific guidelines on the frequency, clinical and laboratory tests required for early diagnosis and referrals with early signs of diabetes-related complicationsat primary care level will assist in reducing the long term adverse outcomes including amputations.

Prognostic value of serum calprotectin level in elderly diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: A Cohort study.

Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have an increased serum level of calprotectin. The purpose of present study was to analyze the prognostic significance of serum calprotectin levels in elderly diabetic patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to ACS.A total of 273 consecutive elderly diabetic patients underwent PCI for primary ACS were enrolled. Serum calprotectin levels were measured before PCI, and baseline clinical characteristics of all patients were collected. All patients were followed up at regular interval for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) during 1 year after PCI. MACEs include cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization (TVR). The predicting value of serum calprotectin for MACEs was analyzed by using univariate and multivariate analysis and receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC).At the endpoint of this study, 47 patients of all 273 patients had MACEs. According to optimal cutoff value of calprotectin for predicting MACEs by ROC analysis, all patients were stratified into a high calprotectin group and a low calprotectin group. The incidence rate of MACEs and TVR in high calprotectin group was prominently higher than that in low calprotectin group (21.9% vs 11.5%, P = .02). In multivariable COX regression analysis adjusting for potential confounders, serum calprotectin level remains as an independent risk predictor of MACE (hazard ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-4.62; P = .01).In diabetic patients with a comorbidity of ACS, a high serum level of calprotectin is associated to a higher MACE rate after PCI.

Evaluation of allowable pancreatic resection rate depending on preoperative risk factors for new-onset diabetes mellitus after distal pancreatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Although more patients have long-term survival after pancreatectomy, the details of pancreatogenic diabetes mellitus (DM) are still unclear. We aimed to investigate the incidence of new-onset DM (NODM) after distal pancreatectomy (DP) and to clarify the risk factors, including allowable pancreatic resection rate (PR), for NODM. METHODS: The incidence, onset time, and risk factors for NODM were retrospectively evaluated in 150 patients who underwent DP without preoperative DM and with >5 years of postoperative follow-up between 2005 and 2015. RESULTS: The incidence rate of NODM was 39%, and 60% of this incidence was noted within 6 months postoperatively. In the multivariate analysis, hemoglobin A1c ≥ 5.8% (odds ratio [OR] 7.6), impaired glucose tolerance and/or impaired fasting glucose (OR 4.2), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance ≥1.4 (OR 5.5), and insulinogenic index <0.7 (OR 3.9) were the preoperative risk factors for NODM. Based on these four preoperative risk factors of NODM, we made the new scoring system to predict the NODM after DP. The NODM incidence was 0%, 8%, 48%, 60%, and 86% in patients with risk scores 0 (n = 25), 1 (n = 36), 2 (n = 33), 3 (n = 35), and 4 (n = 21), respectively. PRs ≥42.1% and ≥30.9% were allowable in the preoperative risk-score 0-1 and 2-4 groups. In the former group, the NODM incidence for PR ≥ 42.1% and <42.1% was significantly different (20% vs 0%, P < 0.05). In the latter group, the NODM incidence for PR ≥ 30.9% vs <30.9% was significantly different (75% vs 23%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We clarified the preoperative risk factors and allowable PR for NODM and recommended the use of a risk scoring system for predicting NODM preoperatively.

Prognostic Value of Admission Mean Corpuscular Volume for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events following Stent Implantation in Nondiabetic and Diabetic Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: One of the key concerns of the clinician is to identify and manage risk factors for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in nondiabetic and diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing stent implantation. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is a marker of erythrocyte size and activity and is associated with prognosis of cardiovascular disease. However, the role of admission MCV in predicting MACEs following stent implantation in diabetes mellitus (DM), non-DM, or whole patients with ACS remains largely unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 437 ACS patients undergoing stent implantation, including 294 non-DM (59.08 ± 10.24 years) and 143 DM (63.02 ± 9.92 years), were analyzed. Admission MCV was higher in non-DM than DM patients. During a median of 31.93 months follow-up, Kaplan-Meier curve demonstrated that higher admission MCV level was significantly associated with increased MACEs in whole and non-DM, but not in DM patients. In Cox regression analysis, the highest MCV tertile was associated with higher MACEs in whole ([HR] 1.870, 95% CI 1.113-3.144, P = 0.018), especially those non-DM ([HR] 2.089, 95% CI 1.077-4.501, P = 0.029) patients after adjustment of several cardiovascular risk factors. MCV did not predict MACEs in DM patients. During landmark analysis, admission MCV showed better predictive value for MACEs in the first 32 months of follow-up than in the subsequent period. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was conducted to confirmed the value of admission MCV within 32 months. CONCLUSION: In patients with ACS, elevated admission MCV is an important and independent predictor for MACEs following stent implantation, especially amongst those without DM even after adjusting for lifestyle and clinical risk factors. However, as the follow-up period increased, the admission MCV lost its ability to predict MACEs.