Two cases with Hb Andrew-Minneapolis showing high or low-normal HbA1c levels depending on the measurement method.

We experienced two cases of Hb Andrew-Minneapolis with high or low-normal HbA1c levels depending on the measurement method. Case 1 was a 25-year-old male, and case 2 was a 32-year-old pregnant woman. Both cases showed normal glucose tolerance levels and glycated albumin within the reference range. In both cases, the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method (standard mode) showed high HbA1c levels of 6.8% and 6.5%, respectively, while the HbA1c levels measured by immunoassay were low normal at 4.6% in both cases. Globin gene analysis detected heterozygous ß-chain mutations (ß144Lys → Asn) in both cases, which resulted in the diagnosis of Hb Andrew-Minneapolis. In case 1, a high-resolution HPLC chromatogram showed multiple abnormal peaks; two unknown peaks in addition to variant hemoglobin (HbX0) and glycation products of variant hemoglobin (HbX1c) were observed after in vitro glycation reaction. Although the details of unknown peaks were not identified, those might be modified hemoglobin associated with variant hemoglobin. The presence of unknown peaks could cause high HbA1c levels measured by HPLC (standard mode). Furthermore, the HbA1c level measured by immunoassay was increased to 4.9% within the reference range after adjustment for modified hemoglobin in case 1. Consequently, the high HbA1c levels measured by HPLC (standard mode) and the low-normal HbA1c level measured by immunoassay might be due to modified hemoglobin associated with variant hemoglobin.

Neuropsychiatric Immune-related Adverse Events Induced by Pembrolizumab in a Patient with Lung Adenocarcinoma and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

The patient was a 73-year-old woman with lung adenocarcinoma and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who was treated with pembrolizumab. After six cycles of pembrolizumab, she developed symptoms suggestive of neuropsychiatric SLE, such as resting tremor, confusional state, depression, mood disorder, and anxiety disorder. In addition, her cerebrospinal fluid level of interleukin-6 was elevated. Her symptoms resolved one month after the discontinuation of pembrolizumab. This is the first report of neuropsychiatric symptoms in a patient with lung cancer and SLE on immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

A case of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance with abnormal low levels of plasma glycated albumin by M protein.

BACKGROUND: It is known that an immunoglobulin abnormality affects various clinical laboratory measurements and leads to abnormal values. We experienced a case of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) showing a falsely low plasma glycated albumin (GA) level. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 75-y-old male who visited our hospital for thrombocytosis identified during a medical checkup. Based on further examinations, he was diagnosed with MGUS (IgM-κ type). Laboratory examinations revealed that the plasma GA level was significantly low at -1.3% but the serum GA level was reasonable at 15.5%. We investigated the cause of the falsely low plasma GA level. RESULTS: The patient's plasma became turbid after mixing with the first reagent for GA measurement. The plasma GA level was increased by dilution of the plasma. The plasma GA level was falsely decreased only at the time of measurement on a sample collected using a blood-collecting tube with heparin sodium. The GA level was decreased by adding heparin sodium to the patient's serum, whereas the GA level was increased by neutralization of the patient's plasma with protamine sulfate. The GA level was increased after adding polyethylene glycol to the patient's plasma. Serum GA levels in healthy controls were decreased by adding purified M protein from the patient's serum. CONCLUSIONS: We report a patient with MGUS whose plasma GA concentration was falsely decreased by M protein when blood was drawn in a heparin sodium-containing tube.

Factors correlated with serum insulin-like growth factor-I levels in health check-up subjects.

BACKGROUND: Most of circulating IGF-I is derived from the liver and circulating IGF-I levels are decreased in several pathological conditions, such as liver cirrhosis, uncontrolled diabetes, renal failure, and malnutrition. However, it has not fully been elucidated which factors modify IGF-I level in a physiological condition. OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors which are associated with circulating IGF-I levels. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study included 428 subjects who undertook health check-up. Subjects diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by ultrasonography were analyzed separately. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors associated with circulating IGF-I levels. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed that serum albumin levels, total-bilirubin levels, calcium levels, and HOMA-IR were positively correlated with IGF-I levels. Serum transaminase levels and habitual drinking (ethanol intake >20 g/day) were negatively correlated with serum IGF-I levels. Although serum IGF-I standard deviation scores (SDS) in subjects with and without NAFLD were comparable, after adjusting confounding factors clarified by multivariate regression analysis, IGF-I SDS negatively correlated with the presence of NAFLD. CONCLUSION: In this study, we demonstrated that serum bilirubin and calcium levels are correlated with serum IGF-I levels. Although further study is necessary, these data suggest a presence of interaction between GH-IGF-I axis and bilirubin and calcium metabolism.

The Glycated Albumin (GA) to HbA1c Ratio Reflects Shorter-Term Glycemic Control than GA: Analysis of Patients with Fulminant Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Glycated albumin (GA) reflects shorter-term glycemic control than HbA1c. We have reported that HbA1c is paradoxically increased in diabetic patients whose glycemic control deteriorated before ameliorating. In this study, we analyzed paradoxical increases of glycemic control indicators after treatment in patients with fulminant type 1 diabetes (FT1D). We also investigated whether the GA/HbA1c ratio may reflect shorter-term glycemic control than GA. METHODS: Five FT1D patients whose post-treatment HbA1c and GA levels were measured were enrolled. We also used a formula to estimate HbA1c and GA from the fictitious models of changes in plasma glucose in FT1D patients. In this model, the periods during which HbA1c, GA, and the GA/HbA1c ratio were higher than at the first visit were compared. In addition, the half-life for the GA/HbA1c ratio was calculated in accordance with the half-lives for HbA1c and GA (36 and 14 days, respectively). RESULTS: In all FT1D patients, HbA1c levels 2-4 weeks after treatment were increased, with three patients (60%) experiencing an increase of GA levels. In contrast, an increase of the GA/HbA1c ratio was observed in only one patient. In all of the different models of changes in plasma glucose in FT1D patients, the length of time during which the values were higher than at the first visit was in the order of HbA1c > GA > GA/HbA1c ratio. The half-life for the GA/HbA1c ratio was 9 days, shorter than GA. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the GA/HbA1c ratio reflects shorter-term glycemic control than GA.

Glycemic control indicator levels at diagnosis of neonatal diabetes mellitus: Comparison with other types of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is a monogenic insulin-dependent diabetes that develops within 6 months of age. The progression of hyperglycemia until diagnosis is unknown. Glycemic control indicators at diagnosis are useful to estimate the extent and duration of hyperglycemia. We recently established that age-adjusted glycated albumin (GA) is a useful indicator of glycemic control, regardless of age. OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of various glycemic control indicators at diagnosis between NDM and other types of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 8 patients with NDM, 8 with fulminant type 1 diabetes (FT1D), and 24 with acute-onset autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1AD). Plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), GA, and age-adjusted GA (calculated as previously reported) were measured and compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the plasma glucose levels of the group of patients with NDM and those with FT1D or T1AD. HbA1c and GA levels in the NDM group were not significantly different from those in the FT1D group, and both indicators were lower than those in the T1AD group. Age-adjusted GA levels in the NDM group did not differ significantly from those in the T1AD group, but were higher than those in the FT1D group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the time-course of plasma glucose elevation in NDM until diagnosis is similar to that in T1AD. In addition, the high age-adjusted GA value at diagnosis of NDM indicates that this test is useful for assessing chronic hyperglycemia in NDM.

Incompatibility between fasting and postprandial plasma glucose in patients with Cushing's syndrome.

It is shown that glucocorticoids have discordant effects on plasma glucose concentration through their effects on hepatic glycogen deposition, gluconeogenesis and peripheral insulin resistance. Cushing's syndrome caused by cortisol overproduction is frequently accompanied with diabetes mellitus, but fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and post-glucose load plasma glucose levels are not examined in patients with Cushing's syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate FPG, HbA1c and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) 2-h PG and their relationship in patients with Cushing's syndrome, in comparison with control subjects. Sixteen patients with Cushing's syndrome (ACTH-dependent 31%, ACTH-independent 69% and diabetes mellitus 50%) and 64 controls (32 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 32 non-diabetic subjects matched for age, sex and BMI) were enrolled in this study. HbA1c and FPG in the patients with Cushing's syndrome were not different from the controls, whereas the FPG/HbA1c ratio was significantly lower in the patients with Cushing's syndrome than the controls. OGTT 2-h PG was significantly higher in the non-diabetic patients with Cushing's syndrome than the non-diabetic controls, while HbA1c was not different between both groups and FPG was significantly lower in the patients with Cushing's syndrome than the controls. HOMA-ß but not HOMA-R was significantly higher in the patients with Cushing's syndrome than the controls. In conclusion, FPG was rather lower in the patients with Cushing's syndrome than the controls. Postprandial PG or post-glucose loaded PG, but not FPG, is useful to evaluate the abnormality of glucose metabolism in patients with Cushing's syndrome.

Diagnosis and treatment of adrenal insufficiency including adrenal crisis: a Japan Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline [Opinion].

This clinical practice guideline of the diagnosis and treatment of adrenal insufficiency (AI) including adrenal crisis was produced on behalf of the Japan Endocrine Society. This evidence-based guideline was developed by a committee including all authors, and was reviewed by a subcommittee of the Japan Endocrine Society. The Japanese version has already been published, and the essential points have been summarized in this English language version. We recommend diagnostic tests, including measurement of basal cortisol and ACTH levels in combination with a rapid ACTH (250 µg corticotropin) test, the CRH test, and for particular situations the insulin tolerance test. Cut-off values in basal and peak cortisol levels after the rapid ACTH or CRH tests are proposed based on the assumption that a peak cortisol level ≥18 µg/dL in the insulin tolerance test indicates normal adrenal function. In adult AI patients, 15-25 mg hydrocortisone (HC) in 2-3 daily doses, depending on adrenal reserve and body weight, is a basic replacement regime for AI. In special situations such as sickness, operations, pregnancy and drug interactions, cautious HC dosing or the correct choice of glucocorticoids is necessary. From long-term treatment, optimal diurnal rhythm and concentration of serum cortisol are important for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. In maintenance therapy during the growth period of patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, proper doses of HC should be used, and long-acting glucocorticoids should not be used. Education and carrying an emergency card are essential for the prevention and rapid treatment of adrenal crisis.

Clinical and endocrinological characteristics of adrenal incidentaloma in Osaka region, Japan.

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and endocrinological characteristics of adrenal incidentalomas in Osaka region, Japan. The study was a multicenter retrospective analysis of 150 patients with adrenal incidentalomas who underwent radiographic and endocrine evaluations between 2005 and 2013. Most adrenal incidentalomas were discovered by computed tomography (77.0%) and the rest were identified by abdominal ultrasonography (14.6%), magnetic resonance imaging (4.2%), or positron emission tomography (4.2%). Adrenal incidentalomas were more frequently localized on the left side than on the right. The average diameter of tumors was 21 ± 11 mm. On endocrinological evaluation, 14 patients were diagnosed with primary aldosteronism (9.3%), 10 with subclinical Cushing's syndrome (6.7%), 7 with pheochromocytoma (4.7%), 7 with Cushing's syndrome (4.7%), 2 with both subclinical Cushing's syndrome and primary aldosteronism (1.3%), and 110 with non-functioning tumors (73.3%). Patients with functioning tumors were significantly younger and had larger tumor diameters than those with non-functioning tumors. Except for hypertension, complications were comparable between patients with functioning and non-functioning tumors, including the presence of glucose intolerance, cardiovascular disease, and dyslipidemia. In conclusion, a higher prevalence of primary aldosteronism was observed compared with a previous report. Complications were comparable between patients with functioning and non-functioning tumors, including the frequencies of glucose intolerance, cardiovascular disease, and dyslipidemia. Long-term follow-up is required in patients with non-functioning tumors because the frequency of complications, such as glucose intolerance, cardiovascular disease, and dyslipidemia, was equal to that in patients with functioning tumors.

Is glycated albumin useful for differential diagnosis between fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus and acute-onset autoimmune type 1 diabetes mellitus?

BACKGROUND: Markedly elevated plasma glucose and relatively low HbA1c compared to plasma glucose is one diagnostic criterion for fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus (FT1DM). Glycated albumin (GA) is a glycemic control marker that reflects glycemic control in shorter period than HbA1c. This study investigated whether GA is useful for differential diagnosis between FT1DM and acute-onset autoimmune type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1ADM) or not. METHODS: This study included 38 FT1DM patients and 31 T1ADM patients in whom both HbA1c and GA were measured at the time of diagnosis. RESULTS: In FT1DM patients, as compared to T1ADM patients, both HbA1c and GA were significantly lower (HbA1c; 6.6±0.9% vs. 11.7±2.6%, P<0.0001, GA; 22.9±4.8% vs. 44.3±8.3%, P<0.0001). For differential diagnosis between FT1DM and T1ADM, ROC analysis showed that the optimum cut-off value for GA was 33.5% with sensitivity and specificity of 97.4% and 96.8%, respectively, while the optimum cut-off value for HbA1c was 8.7% with sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 83.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: GA also may be useful for the differential diagnosis between FT1DM and T1ADM when the cut-off value can be set at 33.5%.

Patients who showed paradoxical increase in HbA1c levels after intensification of diabetes treatment.

OBJECTIVES: When diabetes treatment is started, added, or changed (intensification of treatment) in patients with poor glycemic control, GA (glycated albumin) decreases within a few weeks, while HbA1c increases in some patients, resulting in a discrepancy between changes in GA and HbA1c. In the present study, we investigated the pathophysiology of such discrepancies. DESIGN AND METHODS: Four diabetic patients with poor glycemic control in whom GA showed a decrease while HbA1c showed an increase at a few weeks after intensification of treatment, resulting in a discrepancy between the time course of HbA1c and that of GA, were studied. RESULTS: In all patients HbA1c increased during the course before intensification of treatment; GA measured in two patients before the intensification of treatment also increased. After the intensification of treatment, GA decreased in all patients. On the other hand, HbA1c increased even after the intensification of treatment, but it decreased later in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: In patients in whom HbA1c increased in spite of a decrease in GA after the intensification of diabetes treatment, glycemic control got worsened before the intensification of treatment. In such patients, therapeutic effect may be misinterpreted if glycemic control is evaluated by HbA1c, and thus it is preferable to evaluate glycemic control by fasting plasma glucose, GA and fructosamine in such situations.

Metformin decreases glycated albumin to glycated haemoglobin ratio in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: To know whether metformin improves postprandial hyperglycaemia, we examined the effect of metformin on the glycated albumin (GA) to glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ratio (GA/HbA1c ratio) in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Metformin and lifestyle interventions were initiated in 18 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Metformin was titrated to 1500 mg/day or maximum-tolerated dose. HbA1c and GA were measured every four weeks up to 24 weeks. RESULTS: HbA1c decreased significantly from 9.0 ± 2.1% at baseline to 6.5 ± 0.9% at week 24, and GA decreased significantly from 24.3 ± 8.2% to 16.2 ± 3.1%. The GA/HbA1c ratio decreased significantly from 2.66 ± 0.37 at baseline to 2.47 ± 0.29 at week 24 (P<0.01), despite that the GA/HbA1c ratio reached a plateau value at week 16. The change in the GA/HbA1c ratio during 24 weeks (ΔGA/HbA1c ratio) was significantly correlated with both baseline HbA1c and GA. Moreover, the ΔGA/HbA1c ratio was significantly correlated with the change in GA during 24 weeks but not with the change in HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS: Metformin decreased the GA/HbA1c ratio in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. This suggests that metformin improves postprandial hyperglycaemia in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Body mass index negatively regulates glycated albumin through insulin secretion in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Glycated albumin (GA) is known to be negatively regulated by body mass index (BMI) in non-diabetic subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In non-diabetic subjects, a mechanism has been proposed in which chronic inflammation associated with obesity increases albumin metabolism and negatively regulates GA levels. However, whether this same mechanism exists in T2DM is unclear. We investigated the factor(s) which influence GA levels in T2DM patients. METHODS: This study included 179 T2DM patients from among people undergoing complete medical examinations. Correlations between GA and the following variables were examined among fasting samples for T2DM patients: BMI, C-reactive protein (CRP), homeostasis model assessment for ß-cell function (HOMA-ß) and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-R). RESULTS: BMI was significantly positively correlated with CRP, but CRP was not significantly correlated with GA. HOMA-ß was significantly positively correlated with BMI and significantly negatively correlated with GA. Multivariate analysis showed that HOMA-ß was a significant explanatory variable for GA, but not CRP and HOMA-R. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that insulin secretion plays a greater role than chronic inflammation in the mechanism by which BMI negatively regulates GA in T2DM patients.

Glycated albumin is not significantly correlated with body mass index in patients with acute-onset type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: No previous reports have clarified the relationship between glycated albumin (GA) and BMI in patients with acute-onset type 1 diabetes. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study evaluating the correlation between GA and BMI in 209 patients with acute-onset type 1 diabetes and in 159 patients with type 2 diabetes who were designated as the control group. The correlation between fasting serum C-peptide immunoreactivity (CPR) and GA or BMI was also evaluated to clarify the impact of insulin secretion capacity on the relationship between GA and BMI. RESULTS: GA was significantly inversely correlated with BMI in patients with type 2 diabetes (r=-0.317, p<0.001) but not in patients with type 1 diabetes (r=0.031, p=NS). In patients with type 2 diabetes, GA was significantly inversely correlated with fasting CPR, and BMI was significantly correlated with fasting CPR. In patients with type 1 diabetes, GA was significantly inversely correlated with fasting CPR (r=-0.291, p<0.001), but BMI was not correlated with fasting CPR (r=-0.010, p=NS). CONCLUSIONS: Unlike in patients with type 2 diabetes, GA was not significantly correlated with BMI in patients with acute-onset type 1 diabetes.

Low serum level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in a Japanese patient with maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 3 (MODY3).

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in European populations are lower in patients with maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 3 (MODY3) than in those with type 2 diabetes. hs-CRP levels have been suggested to be useful for discriminating MODY3 from type 2 diabetes. As hs-CRP levels are influenced by various factors including race and body mass index, it is worthwhile to examine whether hs-CRP can serve as a biomarker for MODY3 in Japanese. Here we describe the case of a Japanese MODY3 patient with a nonsense mutation in the HNF1A gene. Two measurements showed consistently lower hs-CRP levels (<0.05 and 0.09 mg/L) than in Japanese patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Hepatic expression of Crp messenger ribonucleic acid was significantly decreased in Hnf1a knockout mice. The hs-CRP level might be a useful biomarker for MODY3 in both Japanese and European populations.

Serum albumin-adjusted glycated albumin is an adequate indicator of glycemic control in patients with Cushing's syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: We recently reported that glycated albumin (GA) in patients with Cushing's syndrome is low. In the present study, we examined whether serum albumin (SA)-adjusted GA (SAaGA) is an adequate indicator of glycemic control in patients with Cushing's syndrome. DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied 26 patients with Cushing's syndrome (13 patients without diabetes and 13 patients with diabetes). Twenty six non-diabetic subjects and 26 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus matched for age, sex and BMI were used as the controls. SAaGA was calculated using the regression formula between SA and GA in non-diabetic patients with Cushing's syndrome and non-diabetic subjects. RESULTS: SA showed a significant correlation with GA in non-diabetic patients with Cushing's syndrome and non-diabetic subjects. GA, but not SAaGA, in non-diabetic patients with Cushing's syndrome was significantly lower than that in the non-diabetic controls. Furthermore, the GA/HbA1c ratio, but not the SAaGA/HbA1c ratio, in diabetic patients with Cushing's syndrome was significantly lower than that in the diabetic controls. The measured GA in the patients with Cushing's syndrome was significantly lower than the estimated GA, but there was no difference between SAaGA and the estimated GA. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that SAaGA is an adequate indicator of the glycemic control in patients with Cushing's syndrome.

Calculation of HbA1c and glycated albumin from serially measured self-monitored blood glucose in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Both HbA1c and glycated albumin (GA) values are influenced by weighted mean of preceding blood glucose levels depending on each half-life. Based on this principle, we developed formulas for calculation of HbA1c and GA using data from self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG). We also calculated HbA1c and GA in diabetic patients using the developed formulas. METHODS: This study included 9 patients with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (6 males and 3 females; aged 11.4±4.2 y). From the weekly mean blood glucose (MBG) values obtained by the SMBG data during the previous 20 weeks, we calculated HbA1c and GA using the developed formulas and compared the calculated values with the measured values (n=42). RESULTS: The measured and the calculated values of HbA1c were 8.5±0.9% and 8.3±1.2%, respectively. The measured and the calculated values of GA were 24.9±3.7% and 26.4±4.0%, respectively. There were strong positive correlations between both values of HbA1c and GA (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The calculated HbA1c and GA values using the developed formulas from the SMBG data were generally in agreement with the measured values. Using the calculation formulas, the values of HbA1c and GA could be estimated from serially measured SMBG data.

Glycated albumin is set lower in relation to plasma glucose levels in patients with Cushing's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Glycated albumin (GA) is an indicator of glycemic control, which has some specific characters in comparison with HbA1c. Since glucocorticoids (GC) promote protein catabolism including serum albumin, GC excess state would influence GA levels. We therefore investigated GA levels in patients with Cushing's syndrome. METHODS: We studied 16 patients with Cushing's syndrome (8 patients had diabetes mellitus and the remaining 8 patients were non-diabetic). Thirty-two patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 32 non-diabetic subjects matched for age, sex and BMI were used as controls. RESULTS: In the patients with Cushing's syndrome, GA was significantly correlated with HbA1c, but the regression line shifted downwards as compared with the controls. The GA/HbA1c ratio in the patients with Cushing's syndrome was also significantly lower than the controls. HbA1c in the non-diabetic patients with Cushing's syndrome was not different from the non-diabetic controls, whereas GA was significantly lower. In 7 patients with Cushing's syndrome who performed self-monitoring of blood glucose, the measured HbA1c was matched with HbA1c estimated from mean blood glucose, whereas the measured GA was significantly lower than the estimated GA. CONCLUSIONS: We clarified that GA is set lower in relation to plasma glucose levels in patients with Cushing's syndrome.