Prevención de hipoglicemia neonatal en recién nacidos con factores de riesgo mediante la administración bucal de una dosis de gel de dextrosa al 40%: ensayo clínico aleatorizado / Prevention of neonatal hypoglycemia in newborns with risk factors by buccal administration of a dose of 40% dextrose gel: randomized clinical trial / Prevenção da hipoglicemia neonatal em recém-nascidos com fatores de risco através da ingestão bucal de gel de dextrose no 40%: ensaio clínico randomizado

Introducción: la hipoglicemia neonatal es un trastorno metabólico frecuente en neonatos, con mayor incidencia en aquellos con factores de riesgo como ser hijos de madre diabética, pequeño para la edad gestacional y pretérmino tardíos. Material y métodos: se realizó un ensayo analítico aleatorizado, controlado por placebo para evaluar la eficacia de la administración de gel de dextrosa al 40% para la prevención de hipoglicemia neonatal en esta población. Se reclutaron un total de 120 pacientes. Resultados: se encontró una menor incidencia de hipoglicemia neonatal al compararla con la incidencia reportada en la literatura internacional. No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en cuanto al número de ingresos a áreas de internación para tratamiento de hipoglicemia ni en la alimentación a pecho directo exclusivo al alta entre los grupos. Conclusiones: el gel de dextrosa al 40% en recién nacidos podría ser un tratamiento alternativo para profilaxis de hipoglicemia en recién nacidos con factores de riesgo.

Introduction: neonatal hypoglycemia is a frequent metabolic disorder in neonates, with a higher incidence in those with risk factors such as being children of diabetic mothers, small for gestational age, and late preterm. Methodology: a randomized, placebo controlled analytic trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 40% dextrose gel administration for the prevention of neonatal hypoglycemia in this population. A total of 120 patients were recruited. Results: a lower incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia was found when compared to the incidence reported in the international literature. No statistically significant differences were found in terms of the number of admissions to inpatient areas for hypoglycemia treatment or exclusive direct breastfeeding at discharge between the groups. Conclusions: 40% dextrose gel in newborns could be an alternative treatment for hypoglycemia prophylaxis in newborns with risk factors.

Introdução: a hipoglicemia neonatal é um disturbio metabólico comum em neonatos, com maior incidencia naqueles que apresentam fatores de risco, tais como filhos de mães diabéticas, pequenos para a idade gestacional e prematuros tardios. Metodologia: foi realizado um ensaio analítico randomizado e controlado por placebo para avaliar a eficácia da administração de gel de dextrose a 40% para prevenção de hipoglicemia neonatal nesta população. Um total de 120 pacientes foram recrutados. Resultados: foi encontrada menor incidência de hipoglicemia neonatal quando comparada com a incidência relatada na literatura internacional. Não foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas relativas ao número de internações em áreas de internação para tratamento de hipoglicemia ou aleitamento materno direto exclusivo para descarga entre os grupos. Conclusões: o gel de dextrose a 40% em recém nascidos pode ser uma alternativa de tratamento para profilaxia de hipoglicemia em recém nascidos com fatores de risco.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Management of Neonates With Persistent Hypoglycemia and Congenital Hyperinsulinism.

BACKGROUND: Persistent hypoglycemia is common in the newborn and is associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcome. Adequate monitoring is critical in prevention, but is dependent on frequent, often hourly blood sampling. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is increasingly being used in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus, but use in neonatology remains limited. We aimed to introduce real-time CGM to provide insights into patterns of dysglycemia and to support the management of persistent neonatal hypoglycemia. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective study of real-time CGM use over a 4-year period in babies with persistent hypoglycemia. RESULTS: CGMs were inserted in 14 babies: 8 term and 6 preterm infants, 9 with evidence of congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI). A total of 224 days of data was collected demonstrating marked fluctuations in glucose levels in babies with CHI, with a higher sensor glucose SD (1.52 ±â€…0.79 mmol/L vs 0.77 ±â€…0.22 mmol/L) in infants with CHI compared with preterm infants. A total of 1254 paired glucose values (CGM and blood) were compared and gave a mean absolute relative difference of 11%. CONCLUSION: CGM highlighted the challenges of preventing hypoglycemia in these babies when using intermittent blood glucose levels alone, and the potential application of CGM as an adjunct to clinical care.

Gut Microbiome Profile After Pancreatectomy in Infants With Congenital Hyperinsulinism.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to characterize gut microbiome profiles of infants with congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) who underwent near-total or partial pancreatectomy for hypoglycemia management, as compared with healthy controls. METHODS: A prospective observational cohort study was performed. Subjects were infants (0-6 months) with HI who underwent removal of pancreatic tissue for management of intractable hypoglycemia from February 2017 to February 2018 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Fecal samples were collected postoperatively, on full enteral nutrition. The gut microbiome of HI subjects was analyzed and compared with age-matched samples from healthy infants. RESULTS: Seven subjects with ≥50% pancreatectomy and 6 with <50% pancreatectomy were included. α (within-sample) diversity was lowest among infants with ≥50% pancreatectomy (richness: false discovery rate, 0.003; Shannon index: false discovery rate, 0.01). ß (between-sample) diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, P = 0.02; Jaccard distance, P = 0.001) differed across groups (≥ or <50% pancreatectomy, controls). Bifidobacteria and Klebsiella species were least abundant among infants with ≥50% pancreatectomy but did not differ between infants with <50% pancreatectomy and historical controls. CONCLUSIONS: Infants with HI who underwent ≥50% pancreatectomy differed from age-matched infants in gut microbiome profile, whereas those with <50% pancreatectomy more closely resembled control profiles. The durability of this difference should be investigated.

Altered Serum Amino Acid and Acylcarnitine Profiles in Hyperinsulinemic Hypoglycemia and Ketotic Hypoglycemia.

Background: In addition to inborn metabolic disorders, altered metabolic profiles were reported to be associated with the risk and prognosis of some non-metabolic diseases, while as a rare metabolic disease, the overall secondary metabolic spectrum in congenital hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (HH) is largely undetermined. Therefore, we investigated metabolic profiles in HH patients and used ketotic hypoglycemia (KH) patients as a control cohort to unveil their distinct metabolic features. Methods: A total of 97 hypoglycemia children, including 74 with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia and 23 with ketotic hypoglycemia, and 170 euglycemia control subjects were studied retrospectively. Clinical and biochemical data were collected. The normoglycemic spectra of amino acids and acylcarnitines were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The serum insulin and fatty acid concentrations during standardized fasting tests in hypoglycemia patients were also collected. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to screen potential biomarkers. Results: Among the normoglycemic spectra of amino acids, blood valine (p < 0.001), arginine (p < 0.001), threonine (p = 0.001), glutamate (p = 0.002), methionine (p = 0.005), ornithine (p = 0.008), leucine (p = 0.014), alanine (p = 0.017), proline (p = 0.031), citrulline (p = 0.042), aspartate (p = 0.046), and glycine (p = 0.048) levels differed significantly among the three groups. Significantly decreased levels of long- (C14:1, p < 0.001; C18, p < 0.001), medium- (C8, p < 0.001; C10, p < 0.001; C10:1, p < 0.001), and short-chain (C4-OH, p < 0.001; C5OH, p < 0.001) acylcarnitines were found in the hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia group. Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia children with focal lesions and diffuse lesions had similar amino acid and acylcarnitine spectra. C10:1 < 0.09 µmol/L, threonine > 35 µmol/L, and threonine/C10:1 > 440 showed sensitivities of 81.1, 66.2, and 81.1% and specificities of 72.7, 78.3, and 81.8%, respectively, in distinguishing HH from KH. Conclusions: We found significantly different altered serum amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles at normoglycemia, especially decreased C10:1 and increased threonine levels, between HH and KH children, which may reflect the insulin ketogenesis inhibition effect in HH patients; however, the detailed mechanisms and physiological roles remain to be studied in the future.

Efficacy of Dose-Titrated Glucagon Infusions in the Management of Congenital Hyperinsulinism: A Case Series.

Background: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), a rare disease of excessive and dysregulated insulin secretion, can lead to prolonged and severe hypoglycemia. Dextrose infusions are a mainstay of therapy to restore normal glycemia, but can be associated with volume overload, especially in infants. By releasing intrahepatic glucose stores, glucagon infusions can reduce dependency on dextrose infusions. Recent studies have reported positive outcomes with glucagon infusions in patients with CHI; however, to date, there are no reports describing the clinical utility of titrated doses of infused glucagon to achieve glycemic stability. Objective: To assess the potential clinical utility of dose-titrated glucagon infusions in stabilizing glycemic status in pediatric patients with CHI, who were managed by medical and/or surgical approaches. Methods: Patients with CHI (N = 33), with or without mutations in the ATP-sensitive K+ channel genes, ABCC8, and KCNJ11 requiring glucagon by dose titration in addition to intravenous dextrose and medical therapy with diazoxide/octreotide to achieve glycemic stability were recruited. Following glucagon titration and a 24-h glucose stable period, glucose infusion rate (GIR) was reduced over a 24-h period. Achievement of glycemic stability and decrease in GIR were considered end points of the study. Results: All patients achieved glycemic stability with glucagon infusion, demonstrating clinical benefit. GIR reduced from 15.6 (4.5) to 13.4 (4.6) mg/kg/min mean (SD) (p = 0.00019 for difference; n = 32; paired t-test) over 24 h. By univariate analysis, no individual baseline characteristic was associated with changes in the GIR. However, by baseline-adjusted modeling, mutational status of the patient (p = 0.011) was inversely associated with a reduction in GIR. Adverse events were infrequent with diarrhea possibly attributed to glucagon treatment in 1 patient. With long-term treatment following GIR reduction, necrolytic migratory erythema was observed in another patient. Conclusion: These data suggest that dose-titrated glucagon infusion therapy aids hypoglycemia prevention and reduction in GIR in the clinical management of patients with CHI.

Octreotide-related exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) in congenital hyperinsulinism.

Background Congenital hyperinsulinism (CH) is the most frequent cause of persistent hypoglycemia in the newborn. Octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin receptor analog (SSRA), is a second line treatment for diazoxide unresponsive CH patients. Although it has been found to be a safe and effective treatment, long-term benefits and side effects, have not been thoroughly evaluated. Case presentation Some authors have indicated that exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a common but under-recognized adverse reaction in adults treated with octreotide. However, no pediatric patient with SSRA-induced EPI has been reported to date. Here we report a case of an infant with diazoxide unresponsive, diffuse CH, caused by a heterozygous pathogenic paternally inherited mutation in the ABCC8 gene (NM_000352.4:c.357del), that developed exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and secondary vitamin K deficiency associated to chronic octreotide therapy. Conclusions We point out the atypical clinical onset with a cutaneous hemorrhagic syndrome, emphasizing the clinical relevance of this potential side effect.

Congenital Hyperinsulinism Caused by Novel Homozygous KATP Channel Gene Variants May Be Linked to Unexplained Neonatal Deaths among Kurdish Consanguineous Families.

INTRODUCTION: Neonatal hypoglycemia due to congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a potentially life-threatening condition. Biallelic pathogenic variants in KATP channel subunit genes (ABCC8, KCNJ11), causing severe forms of CHI, are more prevalent in regions with a significant rate of consanguinity and may lead to unexplained neonatal deaths. We hypothesized that KATP channel gene variants are the cause of CHI in three unrelated children from consanguineous Kurdish families with histories of four unexplained neonatal deaths with convulsions. CASES: (1) A girl presented on the 6th day of life with recurrent hypoglycemic convulsions (blood glucose 2.05 mmol/L, insulin 58 mIU/L, C-peptide 2,242 pmol/L). (2) A girl with severe developmental delay was diagnosed with CHI at 3 years of age (blood glucose 2.78 mmol/L, insulin 8.1 mIU/L, C-peptide 761 pmol/L) despite a history of recurrent hypoglycemia since neonatal age. (3) A girl presented at 3 weeks of age with convulsions and unconsciousness (blood glucose 2.5 mmol/L, insulin 14.6 mIU/L, C-peptide 523 pmol/L). Coding regions of the ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes were tested by Sanger sequencing. Potential variants were evaluated using the American College of Medical Genetics standards. Three novel causative homozygous variants were found - p.Trp514Ter in the ABCC8 gene (Pt2), and p.Met1Val (Pt1) and p.Tyr26Ter (Pt3) in the KCNJ11 gene. CONCLUSION: CHI caused by KATP channel variants was elucidated in three children, providing a highly probable retrospective diagnosis for their deceased siblings. Future lives can be saved by timely diagnosis of CHI when encountering a neonate with unexplained seizures or other signs of recurrent and/or persistent hypoglycemia.

A Sensitive Plasma Insulin Immunoassay to Establish the Diagnosis of Congenital Hyperinsulinism.

Background: The diagnosis of congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) may be hampered by a plasma (p-) insulin detection limit of 12-18 pmol/L (2-3 mU/L). Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a sensitive insulin immunoassay and to find the optimal p-insulin cut-off for the diagnosis of CHI. Methods: Diagnostic fasting tests, performed without medication or i.v.-glucose, were investigated in children with a clinical diagnosis of CHI, or idiopathic ketotic hypoglycemia (IKH). The CHI diagnosis was either clinical or by the alternative, p-insulin-free criteria; hypoglycemia plus disease-causing genetic mutations and/or CHI-compatible pancreatic histopathology. We included diagnostic p-insulin samples with simultaneous p-glucose <3.2 mmol/L and used a sensitive insulin assay (Cobas e411 immunoassay analyzer; lower detection limit 1.2 pmol/L; normal range 15.1-147.1 pmol/L). Receiver operating characteristics area under the curve (ROC AUC) values and optimal cut-offs were analyzed for the performance of p-insulin to diagnose CHI. Results: In 61 CHI patients, the median (range) p-insulin was 76.5 (17-644) pmol/L compared to 1.5 (1.5-7.7) pmol/L in IKH patients (n=15). The ROC AUC was 1.0 for the diagnosis of CHI defined both by the clinical diagnosis (n=61) and by alternative criteria (n=57). The optimal p-insulin cut-offs were 12.3 pmol/L, and 10.6 pmol/L, at p-glucose <3.2 mmol/L (n=61), and <3.0 mmol/L (n=49), respectively. Conclusions: The sensitive insulin assay performed excellent in diagnosing CHI with optimal p-insulin cut-offs at 12.3 pmol/L (2.0 mU/L), and 10.6 pmol/L (1.8 mU/L), at p-glucose <3.2 mmol/L, and <3.0 mmol/L, respectively. A sensitive insulin assay may serve to simplify the diagnosis of CHI.

Clinical Management and Gene Mutation Analysis of Children with Congenital Hyperinsulinism in South China

Objective: To explore the clinical presentation and molecular genetic characteristics of a cohort of congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) patients from southern China and also to explore the most appropriate therapeutic approaches. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 65 children with CHI. Mutational analysis was performed for KCNJ11 and ABCC8 genes. The GLUD1 gene was sequenced in patients with hyperammonaemia. GCK gene sequencing was performed in those patients with no mutation identified in the ABCC8, KCNJ11 or GLUD1 genes. Results: ABCC8 mutations were identified in 16 (25%) of the cohort, GLUD1 mutations were identified in five children, and no KCNJ11 or GCK mutations were identified. Moreover, some unique features of ABCC8 gene mutations in southern Chinese CHI patients were found in this study. The most common mutation was a deletion/insertion mutation p.Thr1042GlnfsX75 was found in five unrelated patients, which possibly represents a relatively common mutation in southern China. Five novel ABCC8 mutations were detected. The mutations were p.Phe5SerfsX72, p.Gln273ArgfsX85, p.Leu724del, p.Asp1447Gly and IVS 25-1G>T. Five compound heterozygous mutations of ABCC8 gene were identified in this study, and three of these patients were diazoxide-responsive. Forty patients were diazoxide-responsive, 13 patients were diazoxide-unresponsive and 12 patients received dietary treatment only. A pancreatectomy was performed in 10 patients who were unresponsive to medical treatment. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of CHI in south China. Mutations in ABCC8 are the most common causes of CHI in this cohort. Diazoxide and dietary treatment were effective in most patients. Multicentre studies are necessary to obtain the long-term follow-up characteristics of such patients at a national level.

Characterization of diabetes following pancreatic surgery in patients with congenital hyperinsulinism.

BACKGROUND: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is the most common cause of persistent hypoglycaemia in infancy that leads to unfavourable neurological outcome if not treated adequately. In patients with severe diffuse CHI it remains under discussion whether pancreatic surgery should be performed or intensive medical treatment with the acceptance of recurrent episodes of mild hypoglycaemia is justified. Near-total pancreatectomy is associated with high rates of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Little is known about the management and long-term glycaemic control of CHI patients with diabetes after pancreatic surgery. We searched the German/Austrian DPV database and compared the course of 42 CHI patients with diabetes to that of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Study groups were compared at diabetes onset and after a follow-up period of 6.1 [3.3-9.7] (median [interquartile range]) years. RESULTS: The majority of CHI patients with diabetes were treated with insulin (85.2% [70.9-99.5] at diabetes onset, and 90.5% [81.2-99.7] at follow-up). However, compared to patients with T1DM, significantly more patients in the CHI group with diabetes were treated with conventional insulin therapy (47.8% vs. 24.4%, p = 0.03 at diabetes onset, and 21.1% vs. 6.4% at follow-up, p = 0.003), and only a small number of CHI patients were treated with insulin pumps. Daily insulin dose was significantly lower in CHI patients with diabetes than in patients with T1DM, both at diabetes onset (0.3 [0.2-0.5] vs. 0.6 IE/kg/d [0.4-0.8], p = 0.003) and follow-up (0.8 [0.4-1.0] vs. 0.9 [0.7-1.0] IE/kg/d, p = 0.02), while daily carbohydrate intake was comparable in both groups. Within the first treatment year, HbA1c levels were significantly lower in CHI patients with diabetes (6.2% [5.5-7.9] vs. 7.2% [6.5-8.2], p = 0.003), but increased to a level comparable to that of T1DM patients at follow-up. Interestingly, in CHI patients, the risk of severe hypoglycaemia tends to be higher only at diabetes onset (14.8% vs. 5.8%, p = 0.1). CONCLUSIONS: In surgically treated CHI patients insulin treatment needs to be intensified in order to achieve good glycaemic control. Our data furthermore emphasize the need for improved medical treatment options for patients with diazoxide- and/or octreotide-unresponsive CHI.

Prevalence of Adverse Events in Children With Congenital Hyperinsulinism Treated With Diazoxide.

Context: Diazoxide, the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to treat hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, has been associated with several adverse events, which has raised concerns about the safety of this drug. Existing reports are limited to small studies and case reports. Objective: To determine prevalence of and clinical factors associated with adverse events in infants and children treated with diazoxide. Design: Retrospective cohort study of children with hyperinsulinism (HI) treated with diazoxide between 2003 and 2014. Setting: The Congenital Hyperinsulinism Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Patients: Children and infants with laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of HI. Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH), edema, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and hyperuricemia was determined. Tests of association and logistic regression were used to identify potential risk factors. Results: A total of 295 patients (129 female) met inclusion criteria. The median age at diazoxide initiation was 29 days (interquartile range, 10 to 142 days; n = 226 available start dates); 2.4% of patients were diagnosed with PH after diazoxide initiation. Children with PH (P = 0.003) or edema (P = 0.002) were born at earlier gestational age and more frequently had potential PH risk factors, including respiratory failure and structural heart disease (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.005). Other adverse events included neutropenia (15.6%), thrombocytopenia (4.7%), and hyperuricemia (5.0%). Conclusion: In this large cohort, PH occurred in infants with underlying risk factors, but no identifiable risk profile emerged for other adverse events. The relatively high prevalence of neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and hyperuricemia suggests the value in proactively screening for these side effects in children treated with diazoxide.

Diagnosis and management of hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia.

Hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia (HH) is a heterogeneous condition with dysregulated insulin secretion which persists in the presence of low blood glucose levels. It is the most common cause of severe and persistent hypoglycaemia in neonates and children. Recent advances in genetics have linked congenital HH to mutations in 14 different genes that play a key role in regulating insulin secretion (ABCC8, KCNJ11, GLUD1, GCK, HADH, SLC16A1, UCP2, HNF4A, HNF1A, HK1, PGM1, PPM2, CACNA1D, FOXA2). Histologically, congenital HH can be divided into 3 types: diffuse, focal and atypical. Due to the biochemical basis of this condition, it is essential to diagnose and treat HH promptly in order to avoid the irreversible hypoglycaemic brain damage. Recent advances in the field of HH include new rapid molecular genetic testing, novel imaging methods (18F-DOPA PET/CT), novel medical therapy (long-acting octreotide formulations, mTOR inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor antagonists) and surgical approach (laparoscopic surgery). The review article summarizes the current diagnostic methods and management strategies for HH in children.

A Multicenter Experience with Long-Acting Somatostatin Analogues in Patients with Congenital Hyperinsulinism.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent severe hypoglycemia. In the diffuse form of CHI, pharmacotherapy is the preferred choice of treatment. Long-acting somatostatin analogues have been used in children as off-label medication. However, the efficacy, outcomes, and adverse effect profiles of long-acting somatostatin analogues have not been described in multicentered studies. The aim of this retrospective study is to summarize the experience with long-acting somatostatin analogues in a large group of children with CHI. METHODS: Data were obtained retrospectively from 27 patients with CHI who received long-acting somatostatin analogues in 6 different centers in Europe. These included information on glycemic stability, auxology, and adverse effect profile in clinical follow-up assessments. RESULTS: Blood glucose control improved in most patients (89%). No life-threatening side effects occurred. Thirteen patients (48%) experienced side effects; in 3 patients (11%), the side effects were the main reason for discontinuation of the treatment. The most frequent side effect was elevated liver enzymes (n = 10, 37%). CONCLUSION: Long-acting somatostatin analogues are effective in glycemic control of patients with CHI. However, in 37% of all patients increased liver enzymes were observed. It is important to monitor liver function in all patients receiving long-acting somatostatin analogue therapy.

Diagnosis of congenital hyperinsulinism: Biochemical profiles during hypoglycemia.

OBJECTIVES: To define the ranges of biochemical markers during hypoglycemia for the diagnosis of congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI), using high sensitivity insulin assays. SUBJECTS: A total of 298 patients with CHI and 58 control patients with non-hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, who were diagnosed after 2007. METHODS: The levels of biochemical markers (glucose, insulin, ß-hydroxybutyrate [BHB], free fatty acids [FFA], lactate, ammonia) at the time of hypoglycemia were analyzed along with the maximal glucose infusion rate (GIR) to maintain euglycemia and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Median levels of blood glucose in patients with CHI and in controls were 30 and 46 mg/dL, while insulin levels were 9.90 and undetectable (<.5) µU/mL, respectively. Similarly, median levels of BHB were 17.5 and 3745 µmol/L, and those of FFA were 270.5 and 2660 µmol/L, respectively. For patients after 5 months, cutoffs of insulin >1.25 µU/mL, BHB < 2000 µmol/L, and FFA < 1248 µmol/L predicted CHI with sensitivities of 97.5, 96.2, and 95.2% and specificities of 84.2, 89.3, and 92.3%, respectively. Maximal GIR in the CHI groups tended to decrease with age. In addition, decreased gestational age, low birth weight, and elevated lactate at hypoglycemia were significantly more common in patients who were off treatment within 100 days without pancreatectomy. CONCLUSIONS: After introduction of high-sensitive assays, the diagnostic value of insulin was improved, allowing for more efficient cutoffs to be set for diagnosis of CHI. Premature birth, low birth weight and elevated lactate might be helpful in predicting early remission of hypoglycemia.

Sirolimus in the treatment of three infants with diffuse congenital hyperinsulinism.

BACKGROUND: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a major cause of persistent hypoglycemia and brain damage. Therapeutic strategies to avoid near total pancreatectomy in patients who are unresponsive to maximum doses of diazoxide and octreotide remain to be identified, although sirolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, has been used successfully to treat diffuse type CHI. CASE PRESENTATION: We used sirolimus to treat three infants with diffuse CHI. Diagnosis was confirmed clinically, biochemically and by genetic testing. Homozygous mutations in KCNJ11, ABCC8 and KCNJ11 were identified in infants 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Each infant had received the therapy for at least 2 months with close monitoring of glycemic response, serum insulin and C-peptide. None of the infants responded to the therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that sirolimus is less effective in the treatment of diffuse CHI in patients with severe mutations in the homozygous state compared with those with the mutations in the heterozygous.

Efficacy and safety of octreotide for the treatment of congenital hyperinsulinism: a prospective, open-label clinical trial and an observational study in Japan using a nationwide registry.

Octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analog, has been used for treating hypoglycemia caused by congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI). However, octreotide has not been evaluated in clinical trials and has not been approved in any developed country. We aimed to test the efficacy and safety of octreotide for diazoxide-unresponsive CHI through a combination of a single-arm, open-label clinical trial (SCORCH study) and an observational study to collect data on the clinical course of patients treated off-label in Japan (SCORCH registry). In the SCORCH study, 5 patients were stabilized (blood glucose > 45 mg/dL) by hypertonic glucose infusion, and treated by continuous subcutaneous octreotide infusion at a dose of 5-25 µg/kg/day. Continuous blood glucose monitoring was performed between -24 and +48 hours. In 3 patients, a clinically meaningful rise in blood glucose was achieved and therapy was continued. The glucose infusion was gradually decreased and stopped after 5, 11, and 174 days, respectively. In one case, remission of CHI was reached after 606 days and octreotide was discontinued. The SCORCH registry included 19 diazoxide-unresponsive patients treated by subcutaneous octreotide, by continuous infusion or multiple daily injections. Of the 17 patients treated with hypertonic glucose infusion, the infusion rate was reduced after 4 weeks to less than 50% in 11 patients (64.7%) and stopped in 9 (52.9%). During the combined observation period of 695.4 patient-months in both studies, no severe adverse events related to octreotide were observed. In conclusion, subcutaneous octreotide injection was effective and well tolerated in the majority of patients with diazoxide-unresponsive CHI.

Molecular and clinical features of KATP -channel neonatal diabetes mellitus in Japan.

BACKGROUND: There are few reports pertaining to Asian patients with neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) caused by activating mutations in the ATP-sensitive potassium channel genes (KATP-NDM). OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the characteristics of Japanese patients with KATP-NDM. METHODS: By the amplification and direct sequencing of all exons and exon-intron boundaries of the KCNJ11 and ABCC8 genes, 25 patients with KATP-NDM were identified from a total of 70 patients with NDM. Clinical data were collected from the medical charts. RESULTS: Sixteen patients had mutations in KCNJ11 and nine in ABCC8. Eight novel mutations were identified; two in KCNJ11 (V64M, R201G) and six in ABCC8 (R216C, G832C, F1176L, A1263V, I196N, T229N). Interestingly, V64M caused DEND (developmental delay, epilepsy, neonatal diabetes) syndrome in our patient, while mutation of the same residue (V64G) had been reported to cause congenital hyperinsulinism. Mutations in ABCC8 were associated with TNDM (4/9) or isolated PNDM (5/9), whereas those in KCNJ11 were associated with more severe phenotypes, including DEND (3/16), iDEND (intermediate DEND, 4/16), or isolated PNDM (6/16). Switching from insulin to glibenclamide monotherapy was successful in 87.5% of the patients. Neurological improvement was observed in two patients, one with DEND (T293N) and one with iDEND (R50P) syndrome. Three others with iDEND mutations (R201C, G53D, and V59M) remained neurologically normal at 5, 1, and 4 years of age, respectively, with early introduction of sulfonylurea. CONCLUSION: Overall, clinical presentation of KATP-NDM in Japanese patients was similar to those of other populations. Early introduction of sulfonylurea appeared beneficial in ameliorating neurological symptoms.

Single incision laparoscopic 90 % pancreatectomy for the treatment of persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy.

Single incision laparoscopic surgery as a surgical approach in treatment of pancreatic disease has recently been reported in adults. However, its application in persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy (PHHI) in children is limited. In this article, we report single incision laparoscopic 90 % pancreatectomy for the treatment of persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy. Between July 2011 and February 2015, the single incision laparoscopic 90 % pancreatectomy was performed in three children with PHHI. All patients underwent (18)F-FDOPA PET/CT before the surgeries. The scans showed diffuse physiologic (18)F-FDOPA activity in entire pancreas. All patients were followed up. The levels of blood sugar and insulin were recorded postoperatively. The time required for surgery was 120-230 min, and blood loss was minimal. The hospital stay was 6 days. The duration of postoperative abdominal drainage was 4-5 days. The levels of fasting blood glucose after surgery were higher than those before surgery (4.38-8.9 vs. 0.54-1.8 mmol/L). The levels of fasting insulin after surgery were lower than those before surgery (2.4-5.5 vs. 14-33.3 uU/ml). The duration of follow-up was 4-46 months. During follow-up, the levels of blood glucose and insulin were normal in three patients. There was no recurrence of hypoglycemia after operation in all patients. Single incision laparoscopic 90 % pancreatectomy for children with PHHI is feasible and safe in well-selected cases in the experienced centers.

Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-4 Alfa Mutation Associated with Hyperinsulinaemic Hypoglycaemia and Atypical Renal Fanconi Syndrome: Expanding the Clinical Phenotype.

BACKGROUND: The p.R63W mutation in the hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 alpha (HNF4A) results in macrosomia and atypical Fanconi syndrome, in addition to hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia (HI). We describe 2 infants carrying this mutation, presenting with additional features. Cases Series: Patient 1, a male born with a birth weight of 1.7 SDS, was diagnosed with HI on day 2 of life. He responded to 3-10 mg/kg/day of diazoxide. Raised serum creatinine led to the investigation of renal tubular function, showing leaking of electrolytes and protein. The patient also had conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia with liver steatosis. Patient 2 was a male born with a weight of 0.36 SDS. His mother had renal Fanconi syndrome. He received parenteral nutrition and presented with HI at 1 month of age, while establishing enteral feeds. Biochemistry workup showed renal tubular leaking of calcium, sodium, and phosphate. A hypoglycaemia screen documented HI, and the patient was commenced on 2 mg/kg/day of diazoxide. Continuous glucose monitoring was performed in his mother, revealing overnight hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSION: Renal Fanconi syndrome represents the only HNF4A feature showing complete penetrance. Our cases suggest that the p.R63W HNF4A mutation must be considered in subjects with a normal birth weight and postulate the possibility of liver involvement as a part of this condition.