Long-standing Insulin-dependent Diabetes Research Articles

Coronary Artery Disease in Young Women and Men With Long-Standing Insulin-dependent Diabetes

The prevalence and predictors of coronary artery disease were examined in people aged 40 years and younger with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Analysis was performed on those who presented between 1999 and 2003 for kidney and/or pancreas transplant at the University of Minnesota, as all patients who have diabetes mellitus are required to have perioperative cardiology evaluation. The mean age was 33.5 +/- 4.4 years for 88 subjects, all had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and 33% were dialysis dependent. Severe coronary artery disease was found in 18.2% of women and in 24.2% of men. Three-vessel coronary artery disease trended less in women (9.1%) compared with men (12.1%). Multivariate predictors for severe and 3-vessel coronary artery disease included prior coronary artery disease, hypertension duration, and ST-T wave changes on electrocardiogram. Coronary artery disease is twice as high as expected in young woman. Studies on early management for atherosclerosis are warranted in this high-risk population.

Painful Diabetic Mastopathy as a Reason for Mastectomy

A 34 year old woman with longstanding insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus experienced disabling bilateral breast pain and tenderness associated with the benign breast lesions of diabetic mastopathy. Diabetic mastopathy is typically associated with nontender lesions, however we present a case where disabling pain and tenderness lead to bilateral mastectomy, as requested by the patient. This relieved the patient of her symptoms.

Steroid-Free Immunosuppression for Pancreas-After-Liver Transplantation

Simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation is presently a well-accepted procedure for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and renal failure. However, experiences with combined pancreas and liver transplantation are scarce, a few data are available about the best immunosuppression for these patients. We report our experience with two patients who received a pancreas after liver transplantation for long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, with steroid-free immunosuppression based on daclizumab, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil. Short- and long-term evolution was uneventful. Currently, both patients are insulin free with appropriate metabolic control after 12 and 6 months follow-up. Considering our preliminary results, we suggest a steroid-free immunosuppressive regimen as an option for pancreas-after-liver transplantation.

Radiologic Evaluation of Uncommon Inflammatory and Reactive Breast Disorders

The radiologic features of breast lesions caused by immunologic, reactive, and noncurrent infectious diseases often mimic those of malignancy, frequently constituting a diagnostic challenge even if the underlying disease is known. Churg-Strauss syndrome mimics carcinomatous mastitis. Amyloidosis usually manifests as a suspicious mass, often accompanied by microcalcifications. Wegener granulomatosis and sarcoidosis often manifest as irregular masses, although sarcoidosis can also manifest as round, well-defined masses reflecting intramammary node involvement. Diabetic mastopathy is a rare but well-known entity in patients with long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes. Breast involvement by necrobiotic xanthogranulomatosis is rare and manifests as multiple bilateral asymmetric lesions. Multiple clustered hypoechoic tubular structures in a large hypoechoic mass seen after pregnancy can be suggestive of granulomatous mastitis. Mammary tuberculosis can manifest with a nodular, diffuse, or sclerosing pattern. A granulomatous inflammatory reaction must be carefully evaluated because it constitutes the major feature of a diverse group of diseases that includes vasculitis, granulomatous mastitis, tuberculosis, and carcinoma-associated sarcoidlike reactions. Core biopsy can play a major role in developing a differential diagnosis for these rare immunologic, inflammatory, or infectious disorders affecting the breast, and knowledge of these entities can, in the appropriate clinical setting, help the radiologist narrow the differential diagnosis, although cancer must be excluded definitively.

Diabetic fibrous mastopathy: Sonographic‐pathologic correlation

Fibrous and inflammatory lesions of the breast in patients with early-onset, longstanding insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) can lead to misdiagnosis because the clinical, mammographic, and sonographic findings simulate breast cancer. We report a case of diabetic fibrous mastopathy with suspicious clinical, imaging, and cytologic findings.

De novo SLE after cadaveric renal transplantation

De novo lupus nephritis in a renal transplant recipient has not been previously reported. We present a transplant recipient with long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who presented 9 years posttransplant with hematoproteinuria and acute renal failure. New findings of positive antinuclear antibody and double-stranded deoxyribonucleic antibody and renal histology findings consistent with lupus nephritis suggest a diagnosis of de novo systemic lupus erythematosis.

The ocular hemodynamic response to nitric oxide synthase inhibition is unaltered in patients with early type I diabetes.

An impaired ocular hemodynamic response to systemic nitric oxide synthesis inhibition has been demonstrated in patients with long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. It is unclear whether this altered responsiveness is already detectable in early uncomplicated type I diabetes. The effect of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl- l-arginine (L-NMMA) was studied in 10 male patients with early type I diabetes under euglycemic conditions and 10 healthy matched control subjects in a single (analyst) blinded cohort study design. Changes in ocular hemodynamics (fundus pulsation amplitude, mean flow velocity in the ophthalmic artery) and in pulse rate and mean blood pressure were measured in response to systemic intravenous doses of 1.5, 3, and 6 mg/kg L-NMMA. L-NMMA dose-dependently and significantly decreased fundus pulsation amplitude (-21.0% vs -23.3% in diabetics and controls, respectively), mean flow velocity in the ophthalmic artery (-12.3% vs -10.8%) and pulse rate (-15.4% vs -16.6%) and increased mean arterial pressure (+19.5% vs +14.7%). The ocular and systemic hemodynamic effects of L-NMMA were not different between patients with diabetes and controls. The responsiveness of the choroidal vasculature and the ophthalmic artery to L-NMMA is not altered in early type 1 diabetes. An impaired hemodynamic response to nitric oxide synthesis inhibition in diabetes is therefore not caused by a primary defect but rather due to altered vascular responsiveness secondary to long-standing disease.

PSEUDOSCLERODERMAL SYNDROME IN DIABETES MELLITUS

Skin thicking simulating scleroderma is not rare in diabetes mellitus (about 2% among patients with diabetes mellitus), however it is not well known to rheumatologists and endocrinologists. The basis of the syndrome are the abnormalities of collagen and glycosaminoglycans metabolism accompanying by the acid mucopolysaccharides accumulation in the deep part of the reticular dermis. Three cases of pseudosclerodrma in patients with long-standing complicated insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus are presented. The main clinical manifestations of pseudoscleroderma were marked cutaneous induration of the neck, body and proximal parts of extremities liked that of scleredema of Buschke ( 2 patients), and primary paraarticular induration leaded to the flexion contractures liked that of paraneoplastic scleroderma ( I patient). Possible mechanisms of development, clinical and morphological peculiarities and treatment for this syndrome are discussed.

Pancreatic transplantation and subsequent graft surveillance by pancreatic portal-enteric anastomosis and temporary venting jejunostomy.

To evaluate portal-enteric (PE) pancreas and kidney transplantation with venting jejunostomy (VJ) for its efficacy, safety, and reproducibility. Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation for patients with long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus that progresses to renal failure has revolutionized their treatment and quality of life. A current clinical focus is to refine the technical aspects of this procedure. Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation with PE anastomosis with VJ appears to offer several advantages over bladder drainage. VJ allows initial decompression of the enteric anastomosis, monitoring of pancreatic function by ostomy amylase, and simple access for endoscopic evaluation and biopsy of the allograft. Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation with VJ was performed in 21 patients from December 1996 to October 2000 at Willis Knighton/LSU Regional Transplant Center. All patients had long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and subsequent renal failure. They were evaluated at the time of surgery by a multidisciplinary transplant team and monitored for numerous factors, including length of hospital stay, immunosuppressive regimen, and ischemia times. All patients had intermittent visual and biochemical evaluation of pancreatic secretions monitored by means of the VJ. Of the 21 patients, 10 were women and 11 were men. Four patients were black and 17 were white. The mean age at transplantation was 38 years; average human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match was one; and average cold ischemia time was 12 hours. The median hospital stay was 16 days. Four episodes of postoperative bleeding requiring exploration occurred in four patients. Postoperative wound infections developed in four patients. There were 12 episodes of rejection in nine patients. All patients with suspected acute pancreatic rejection underwent endoscopy by means of the VJ and duodenal biopsy for evaluation. Two patients lost pancreatic function subsequent to kidney failure, one secondary to noncompliance and the other as a result of hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Patient, kidney, and pancreatic survival rates were 100%, 90%, and 90%, respectively. The mean follow-up period was 25 (range 2-48) months. The authors believe that PE pancreatic drainage with VJ is a more physiologic method to perform pancreatic transplantation than bladder drainage. PE drainage allows rapid diagnosis of acute rejection and anastomotic leak and provides a simple way to monitor ostomy amylase and transplant duodenal bleeding. This technique is safe and has minimal associated complications.

Diabetic Fibrous Mastopathy: Case Reports and Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation.

Diabetic fibrous mastopathy, an unusual finding in patients with early onset, long-standing insulin dependent diabetes, can present as a palpable mass with mammographic and sonographic findings highly suggestive of breast cancer. These suspicious clinical and imaging findings necessitate a biopsy, which demonstrates characteristic findings of dense, keloid scarring and intralobular lymphocytic infiltrates. We present 2 cases of diabetic fibrous mastopathy with characteristic mammographic, sonographic, and pathologic findings diagnosed with ultrasound guided core needle biopsy and confirmed with surgical excision. In the appropriate clinical setting, a patient with long-standing insulin dependent diabetes with a firm, mobile breast mass and characteristic sonographic findings of a hypoechoic mass with lobulation and marked posterior acoustic shadowing should suggest the possibility of diabetic fibrous mastopathy. Awareness of this entity may obviate the need for surgical excision in patients whose clinical, imaging, and pathologic findings are consistent with diabetic fibrous mastopathy.

Effects of postprandial walking on delayed gastric emptying and intragastric meal distribution in longstanding diabetics.

We investigated the influence of standardized postprandial walking on the rates of gastric emptying and of intragastric meal distribution in 50 consecutive patients with longstanding insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Gastric emptying of a semisolid meal labeled with 99mTc was continuously recorded with a dual-head gamma camera with patients in the supine position for 90 min before and 20 min after a 30-min postprandial walk. Regions of interest enclosing total stomach, and proximal and distal gastric compartments were calculated to determine gastric emptying rates and intragastric meal distribution. The evaluation of gastric emptying rates before and after postprandial walking demonstrated two variants of delayed gastric emptying: one variant that was counteracted by postprandial walking in seven patients (14%, Group I) and another variant that was not influenced by postprandial walking in 11 patients (22%, Group II). In addition, the emptying rates of 28 patients (56%) were within the range of controls and in four patients the emptying was accelerated (8%). The filling of the proximal gastric compartment was predominant and remained dominant after walking in Groups I and II. In controls and in diabetics with normal gastric emptying, the preliminary predominant filling of the proximal compartment was equalized after walking and the proximal compartment regained predominance thereafter. The changes in gastric emptying characteristics from delayed to accelerated gastric emptying may be related to the duration of diabetes (r = -0.47, p<0.03) and were not indicated by symptoms of upper GI discomfort or by secondary diabetic manifestations. Postprandial walking may improve gastric emptying in 14% of patients with longstanding insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Effects of postprandial walking on delayed gastric emptying and intragastric meal distribution in longstanding diabetics

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the influence of standardized postprandial walking on the rates of gastric emptying and of intragastric meal distribution in 50 consecutive patients with longstanding insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Gastric emptying of a semisolid meal labeled with 99mTc was continuously recorded with a dual-head gamma camera with patients in the supine position for 90 min before and 20 min after a 30-min postprandial walk. Regions of interest enclosing total stomach, and proximal and distal gastric compartments were calculated to determine gastric emptying rates and intragastric meal distribution. RESULTS: The evaluation of gastric emptying rates before and after postprandial walking demonstrated two variants of delayed gastric emptying: one variant that was counteracted by postprandial walking in seven patients (14%, Group I) and another variant that was not influenced by postprandial walking in 11 patients (22%, Group II). In addition, the emptying rates of 28 patients (56%) were within the range of controls and in four patients the emptying was accelerated (8%). The filling of the proximal gastric compartment was predominant and remained dominant after walking in Groups I and II. In controls and in diabetics with normal gastric emptying, the preliminary predominant filling of the proximal compartment was equalized after walking and the proximal compartment regained predominance thereafter. The changes in gastric emptying characteristics from delayed to accelerated gastric emptying may be related to the duration of diabetes (r = −0.47, p < 0.03) and were not indicated by symptoms of upper GI discomfort or by secondary diabetic manifestations. CONCLUSION: Postprandial walking may improve gastric emptying in 14% of patients with longstanding insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

A 2-year follow-up study on bone mineral density and markers of bone turnover in patients with long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The aim of study was to evaluate, during 2-year follow-up, bone mineral density in sites with different cortical/cancellous bone ratios (lumbar spine, total body, distal site of radius) and selected markers of bone turnover (total alkaline phoshatase, osteocalcin, pyridinoline and deoxypirydinoline) in patients with long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in comparison with healthy controls. Additionally, the influence of age, sex, smoking, duration of diabetes, the degree of metabolic control, or coexisting chronic complications of diabetes (retinopathy, incipient nephropathy, polyneuropathy) on the studied indices of bone metabolism in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were evaluated. It was found that patients with long-standing diabetes mellitus had significantly lower bone mineral density than healthy controls (p < 0.003 in lumbar spine and p < 0.001 in total body). The incidence rate of osteopenia and osteoporosis was significantly higher in this group of patients in comparison with the controls (p < 0.005 for lumbar spine and total body and p < 0.001 for radius). In comparison with healthy subjects, diabetic patients and significantly higher, but within normal reference range, serum alkaline phosphate (p < 0.005) and osteocalcin (p < 0.05), accompanied by similar pyridinoline and not significantly increased deoxypyridinoline. Duration and metabolic control of diabetes, or the coexistence of its chronic complications, did not correlate with bone mineral density or the studied indices of bone turnover. In conclusion, diabetic osteopenia seems to be a normal bone turnover state, not influenced by the duration or degree of metabolic control of diabetes.

Incidence and Characteristics of Patients with Hand Ischemia after a Hemodialysis Access Procedure

The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics of chronic renal failure patients who developed hand ischemia in the limb carrying the dialysis angioaccess. A retrospective review of the charts of 352 patients who underwent 409 upper extremity arteriovenous access, and who were subsequently diagnosed as steal syndrome, was performed at the Emory University Hospital between February 1992 and January 1997. Hand ischemia occurred after 13 of 299 arteriovenous grafts (4.3%) and after 2 of 110 direct forearm arteriovenous fistulas (1.8%). Six patients developed ischemic manifestations immediately postoperatively, 2 in the first week, 4 after 1 month, and 1 after 1 year. Thirteen occurred in association with the primary access procedure. Two cases occurred following graft thrombectomy and outflow dilatation. Seven patients were mildly symptomatic with dialysis-induced pain, coldness, or numbness; 8 patients developed severe ischemic manifestations in the form of sensory loss in 3, severe intolerable pain with impalpable pulse in 3, and digital gangrene and amputation in 2, one of whom developed an unhealed amputation stump and required a higher amputation level with satisfactory healing of the revised stump. Three patients were treated conservatively, 6 by banding, 4 by ligation, 1 by embolization, and 1 by distal ligation and bypass operation. Clinical characteristics of patients with hand ischemia included long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes (10), chronic hypertension (12), peripheral arterial disease (14; 93.3%), coronary artery disease (8), and systemic lupus erythematosis (1). Severe peripheral arterial diseases are commonly found and may be markers for risk of hand ischemia after access surgery.

Neuropathies Masquerading as an Epidural Complication

The purpose of this report is to emphasise the role of the Acute Pain Service in managing local anaesthetic epidural infusions for postoperative pain management, the importance of vigilant monitoring, and to offer some guidelines to using local anaesthetic epidural infusions. A 34-yr-old man with long-standing insulin dependent diabetes mellitus underwent a total proctocolectomy for inflammatory bowel disease. A T9–10 epidural catheter was placed pnor to induction of general anaesthesia. Postoperatively, a continuous epidural infusion of fentanyl/bupivacaine was used for postoperative pain management. Total lithotomy time was four hours. On day four he was noted to have complete right sided femoral and left sided lateral femoral cutaneous nerve of thigh neuropathies. A computensed tomography scan and a magnetic resonance imaging excluded a central lesion. Electromyelography confirmed peripheral nerve injuries. This patient’s neurological deficits were not due to the epidural analgesia. However, epidural infusion of local anaesthetic caused a delay in recognising a potential neurological complication. When using local anaesthetic epidural infusions, it is important to exclude other causes of motor block before attributmg it to the local anaesthetic.

Glycemic Control and Cardiopulmonary Function in Patients With Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND: We studied cardiopulmonary function during exercise in young subjects with long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) who have no clinical cardiopulmonary disease to determine the relationships of aerobic capacity, gas exchange, ventilatory power requirement, and cardiac output to chronic glycemic control.METHODS: Eighteen subjects with IDDM and 14 normal control subjects were studied. Nine diabetic subjects received twice daily insulin injections and had chronically elevated levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (hyperglycemic group); 9 other diabetic subjects received insulin via continuous infusion pumps and maintained chronic near-normal levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (normoglycemic group). At the end of at least 7 years of regular follow-up, aerobic capacity was determined by cycle ergometry. Lung volume, diffusing capacity, and cardiac output during exercise were measured by a rebreathing technique. Ventilatory power was measured by the esophageal balloon technique.RESULTS: Maximal work load and oxygen uptake were markedly impaired in chronically hyperglycemic diabetic patients associated with significant restrictions of lung volume, lung diffusing capacity, and stroke index during exercise. Membrane diffusing capacity was significantly reduced at a given cardiac index. The normoglycemic patients consistently showed less impairment than the hyperglycemic patients.CONCLUSION: Physiologically significant cardiopulmonary dysfunction develops in asymptomatic patients with long-standing IDDM. Chronic maintenance of near-normoglycemia is associated with improved cardiopulmonary function.

Poor vision as a contributory factor in diabetic neuro-arthropathy

Two patients with longstanding insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) complicated by neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy leading to poor vision each developed a swollen and relatively painless foot. The previous day, both had been walking over uneven ground. At initial presentation, no X-ray was taken of the foot in case one and no action was taken over an undisplaced navicular fracture in case two. A few weeks later, a midfoot Charcot had developed in both cases. Poor vision may increase the risk of injury to the feet and may be an important risk factor for Charcot neuro-arthropathy. Plain radiographs are an important investigation for the swollen insensitive foot, even in the absence of pain.

The Effect of an Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor on Skin Microvascular Hyperaemia in Microalbuminuric Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Patients with longstanding insulin-dependent (Type 1) diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are reported to have microvascular complications in most capillary beds. The microvascular hyperaemia of the skin in normoalbuminuric and microalbuminuric IDDM patients and healthy volunteers was measured with laser Doppler flowmetry. The effect of 3 and 9 months of treatment with captopril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, on hyperaemia in the microalbuminuric patients was studied. Mean (+/- SD) pretreatment duration of skin postocclusive reactive hyperaemia was longer in microalbuminuric than in both normoalbuminuric patients and healthy volunteers (118.2 +/- 34.4 vs 57.8 +/- 16.0 vs 63.3 +/- 18.3 sec, respectively, p < 0.00001). After 3 and 9 months of captopril treatment the prolonged hyperaemia was shortened to 78.6 +/- 45.6 s (p < 0.01) and 62.3 +/- 55.6 s (p < 0.03), respectively. Urinary albumin excretion decreased from 63.9 +/- 43.5 to 33.4 +/- 28.1 mg 24 h-1 at 3 months treatment (p < 0.002) and 43.1 +/- 38.5 mg 24 h-1 at the end of the study period (p < 0.02). A positive correlation between changes in urinary albumin excretion and the shortening of the skin postocculsive reactive hyperaemia was found. Blood pressure remained in the same range throughout. These results show that captopril affects skin blood flow, independent of its hypotensive effect. This action may reflect the influence of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor on vascular beds other than those of the kidneys.

The Effect of an Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor on Skin Microvascular Hyperaemia in Microalbuminuric Insulin‐dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Patients with longstanding insulin-dependent (Type 1) diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are reported to have microvascular complications in most capillary beds. The microvascular hyperaemia of the skin in normoalbuminuric and microalbuminuric IDDM patients and healthy volunteers was measured with laser Doppler flowmetry. The effect of 3 and 9 months of treatment with captopril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, on hyperaemia in the microalbuminuric patients was studied. Mean (±SD) pretreatment duration of skin postocclusive reactive hyperaemia was longer in microalbuminuric than in both normoalbuminuric patients and healthy volunteers (118.2 ± 34.4 vs 57.8 ± 16.0 vs 63.3 ± 18.3 sec, respectively, p < 0.00001). After 3 and 9 months of captopril treatment the prolonged hyperaemia was shortened to 78.6 ± 45.6 s (p < 0.01) and 62.3 ± 55.6 s (p < 0.03), respectively. Urinary albumin excretion decreased from 63.9 ± 43.5 to 33.4 ± 28.1 mg 24 h−1 at 3 months treatment (p < 0.002) and 43.1 ± 38.5 mg 24 h−1 at the end of the study period (p <0.02). A positive correlation between changes in urinary albumin excretion and the shortening of the skin postocculsive reactive hyperaemia was found. Blood pressure remained in the same range throughout. These results show that captopril affects skin blood flow, independent of its hypotensive effect. This action may reflect the influence of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor on vascular beds other than those of the kidneys. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Disordered mobility of large joints in association with neuropathy in patients with long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Movement performance was studied in 29 long-term patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and 29 matched control subjects. Velocity, range of motion, reaction time, and strength of ankle dorsal and plantar flexion and knee extension were measured. The neuropathic condition was assessed from clinical examination, nerve conduction studies, and quantitative sensory examination, and summed to obtain a neuropathy rank-sum score. Reaction time for the diabetic patients was increased by 29%, 23%, and 22% for ankle dorsal, ankle plantar, and knee extension movements respectively (p < 0.001). Range of motion was slightly decreased at ankle dorsal flexion (12%, p < 0.05). There was an inverse relationship between range of motion and neuropathy rank-sum score for ankle dorsal (r = -0.68, p < 0.001) and plantar flexion (r = -0.61, p < 0.001). Peak velocity was significantly decreased at ankle dorsal (21%, p < 0.001) and plantar flexion (23%, p < 0.001) and was related to the isokinetic muscle strength. Peak velocity was also related to the neuropathy rank-sum score at ankle dorsal flexion (r = 0.57, p < 0.002). We conclude that maximal movements at the ankle are delayed and slowed in long-term IDDM patients. The decreased peak velocity and the range of motion are related to the severity of neuropathy.