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OBJECTIVE: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are widely used for the management of diabetes mellitus (DM), but their efficacy in familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD) is unknown. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the effect of GLP-1RA in patients with FPLD. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed data, reported with SDs, from 14 patients with FPLD (aged 58 ± 12 years; 76.47% female) and 14 patients with type 2 DM (aged 58 ± 13 years; 71% female) before and 6 months after starting GLP-1RA. RESULTS: We observed reduction in weight (95 ± 23 to 91 ± 22 kg; P = 0.002), BMI (33 ± 6 to 31 ± 6 kg/m2; P = 0.001), HbA1c (8.2% ± 1.4% to 7.7% ± 1.4%; P = 0.02), and fasting glucose (186 ± 64 to 166 ± 53 mg/dL; P = 0.04) in patients with FPLD. The change in triglycerides after treatment was greater in the FPLD group compared with the DM group (P = 0.02). We noted acute pancreatitis in two case subjects with FPLD with longer therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the relative safety and effectiveness of GLP-1RA in patients with FPLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no strong evidence that any specific diet is the preferred treatment for lipodystrophy syndromes. Here we remark on the benefits of a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) in a patient with familial partial lipodystrophy type 2 (FPLD2). A 38-year-old female diagnosed with FPLD2, with a history of multiple comorbidities, underwent 16 weeks of VLCD with a short-term goal of improving her metabolic state rapidly to achieve pregnancy by in vitro fertilization (IVF). We observed a reduction of 12.3 kg in body weight and 1.4% in hemoglobin A1c. The decrease in the area under the curves of insulin (−33.2%), triglycerides (−40.7%), and free fatty acids (−34%) were very remarkable. Total body fat was reduced by 16%, and liver fat by 80%. Her egg retrieval rate and quality during IVF were far superior to past hyperstimulation. Our data encourage the use of this medical approach for other patients with similar metabolic and reproductive abnormalities due to adipose tissue insufficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study attempts to evaluate the C-Peptide levels after autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) among newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus. The results indicate that C-Peptide levels increased significantly following HSCT and patients exhibited insulin independence with good glycemic control.

The safety and metabolic effects of high-dose immunosuppression were determined, followed by autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHST) in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). With AHST, beta cell function was found to be increased in all but 1 patient and induced prolonged insulin independence in the majority of the patients.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the shortcoming of BMI as a measurement of adiposity in patients with familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD).Methods: Two different matching procedures were used to compare 55 FPLD versus control patients with severe obesity (N = 548 patients) to study the relationship between body weight, fat distribution, and metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. In MATCH1, the patients with FPLD were matched to controls with obesity (OCs) by truncal mass, and in MATCH2, the patients with FPLD were matched to OCs with respect to glucose control.Results: With MATCH1, the FPLD group had worse glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c 8.2% ± 1.6% vs. 5.9% ± 0.9%), higher triglycerides (884 ± 1,190 mg/dL vs. 139 ± 79 mg/dL), and lower leptin (20.5 ± 15.8 ng/mL vs. 41.9 ± 29.4 ng/mL, P < 0.001 for all comparisons). In MATCH2, metabolic comorbidity-matched FPLD patients had significantly lower BMI compared with OCs (29.5 ± 5.7 kg/m2 vs. 38.6 ± 5.2 kg/m2 , P < 0.001).Conclusions: Patients with FPLD with similar truncal mass have worse metabolic profiles than non-FPLD OCs. The differential BMI between the FPLD and OCs, when matched for their metabolic comorbidities, approximates 8.6 BMI units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) could indirectly, as well directly, influence metabolic parameters related to health effects in response to selenium (Se) supplementation. This study aimed to investigate whether the selenoprotein SNPs were associated with the response of Se status biomarkers to the Brazil nut consumption in patients using statins and if the variation in Se homoeostasis could affect antioxidant protection, lipid profile, muscle homoeostasis and selenoproteins mRNA. The study was performed in the Ribeirão Preto Medical School University Hospital. Thirty-two patients using statins received one unit of Brazil nut daily for 3 months. Body composition, blood Se concentrations, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triacylglycerol (TAG), creatine kinase (CK) activity and gene expression of GPX1 and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) were evaluated before and after Brazil nut consumption. The volunteers were genotyped for SNP in GPX1 (rs1050450) and SELENOP (rs3877899 and rs7579). SNPs in selenoproteins were not associated with plasma and erythrocyte Se, but SNPs in SELENOP influenced the response of erythrocyte GPX activity and CK activity, TAG and LDL after Brazil nut consumption. Also, Brazil nut consumption increased GPX1 mRNA expression only in subjects with rs1050450 CC genotype. SELENOP mRNA expression was significantly lower in subjects with rs7579 GG genotype before and after the intervention. Thus, SNP in SELENOP could be associated with interindividual differences in Se homeostasis after Brazil nut consumption, emphasising the involvement of genetic variability in response to Se consumption towards health maintenance and disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) arises from autoimmune-mediated destruction of insulin-producing β-cells leading to impaired insulin secretion and hyperglycemia. T1D is accompanied by DNA damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation, although there is still scarce information about the oxidative stress response and DNA repair in T1D pathogenesis. We used the microarray method to assess mRNA expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 19 T1D patients compared to 11 controls and identify mRNA targets of microRNAs that were previously reported for T1D patients. We found 277 differentially expressed genes (220 upregulated and 57 downregulated) in T1D patients compared to controls. Analysis by gene sets (GSA and GSEA) showed an upregulation of processes linked to ROS generation, oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, ER stress, and DNA repair in T1D patients. Besides, genes related to oxidative stress responses and DNA repair (PTGS2, ATF3, FOSB, DUSP1, and TNFAIP3) were found to be targets of four microRNAs (hsa-miR-101, hsa-miR148a, hsa-miR-27b, and hsa-miR-424). The expression levels of these mRNAs and microRNAs were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Therefore, the present study on differential expression profiles indicates relevant biological functions related to oxidative stress response, DNA repair, inflammation, and apoptosis in PBMCs of T1D patients relative to controls. We also report new insights regarding microRNA-mRNA interactions, which may play important roles in the T1D pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanisms by which autosomal recessive mutations in Lmna cause familial partial lipodystrophy type 2 (FPLD2) are poorly understood. To investigate the function of lamin A/C in adipose tissue, we created mice with an adipocyte-specific loss of Lmna (LmnaADKO). Although LmnaADKO mice develop and maintain adipose tissues in early postnatal life, they show a striking and progressive loss of white and brown adipose tissues as they approach sexual maturity. LmnaADKO mice exhibit surprisingly mild metabolic dysfunction on a chow diet, but on a high-fat diet they share many characteristics of FPLD2 including hyperglycemia, hepatic steatosis, hyperinsulinemia, and almost undetectable circulating adiponectin and leptin. Whereas LmnaADKO mice have reduced regulated and constitutive bone marrow adipose tissue with a concomitant increase in cortical bone, FPLD2 patients have reduced bone mass and bone mineral density compared with controls. In cell culture models of Lmna deficiency, mesenchymal precursors undergo adipogenesis without impairment, whereas fully differentiated adipocytes have increased lipolytic responses to adrenergic stimuli. LmnaADKO mice faithfully reproduce many characteristics of FPLD2 and thus provide a unique animal model to investigate mechanisms underlying Lmna-dependent loss of adipose tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background To determine the characteristics of clinical care offered to type 1 diabetic patients across the four distinct regions of Brazil, with geographic and contrasting socioeconomic differences. Glycemic control, prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, screening for chronic complications and the frequency that the recommended treatment goals were met using the American Diabetes Association guidelines were evaluated. Methods This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study conducted from December 2008 to December 2010 in 28 secondary and tertiary care public clinics in 20 Brazilian cities in north/northeast, mid-west, southeast and south regions. The data were obtained from 3,591 patients (56.0% females and 57.1% Caucasians) aged 21.2 ± 11.7 years with a disease duration of 9.6 ± 8.1 years ( Results Overall, 18.4% patients had HbA1c levels Conclusions A majority of patients, mainly in the north/northeast and mid-west regions, did not meet metabolic control goals and were not screened for diabetes-related chronic complications. These results should guide governmental health policy decisions, specific to each geographic region, to improve diabetes care and decrease the negative impact diabetes has on the public health system.

Abstract Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased risk of morbi-mortality, thus the characterization of the population magnitude of this syndrome is critical for allocating health care. However, prevalence estimates of MetS in the same population could differ depending on the definition used. Therefore, we compared the prevalence of the MetS using definitions proposed by: National Cholesterol Education Panel Revised (NCEP) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 2009 in a Japanese-Brazilians community (131 individuals, age 57 ± 16 years, 1st and 2nd generation). All individuals went through a clinical and laboratorial evaluation for assessment of weigh, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose. The prevalence of MetS was 26.7% (n = 35) and 37.4% (n = 49) under the NCEP and IDF definitions, respectively. Despite higher blood pressure measurements, waist circumference and serum triglyceride levels and lower HDL cholesterol levels (p

Introduction: Lipodystrophy is a heterogeneous group of rare diseases characterized by various degrees of fat loss which leads to serious morbidity due to metabolic abnormalities associated with insulin resistance and subtype-specific clinical features associated with underlying molecular etiology. Areas covered: This article aims to help physicians address challenges in diagnosing and managing lipodystrophy. We systematically reviewed the literature on PubMed and Google Scholar databases to summarize the current knowledge in lipodystrophy management. Expert opinion: Adipose tissue is a highly active endocrine organ that regulates metabolic homeostasis in the human body through a comprehensive communication network with other organ systems such as the central nervous system, liver, digestive system, and the immune system. The adipose tissue is capable of producing and secreting numerous factors with important endocrine functions such as leptin that regulates energy homeostasis. Recent developments in the field have helped to solve some of the mysteries behind lipodystrophy that allowed us to get a better understanding of adipocyte function and differentiation. From a clinical standpoint, physicians who suspect lipodystrophy should distinguish the disease from several others that may present with similar clinical features. It is also important for physicians to carefully interpret clinical features, laboratory, and imaging results before moving to more sophisticated tests and making decisions about therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Body fat redistribution and metabolic abnormalities found in HIV patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) contribute to an atherogenic profile, increasing cardiovascular disease risk. Objective: We aimed to evaluate adiposity measures/indexes and propose cutoffs associated with predictors of cardiovascular disease risk in HIV patients on HAART. Design: To evaluate cardiovascular disease risk in this crosssectional study, we conducted electrocardiogram exams and stress electrocardiography, measured the ankle brachial index and blood pressure arterial hypertension, conducted lipid biochemical tests, and measured blood glucose.We measured circumferences [waist (WC), hip, thigh, calf, neck, trunk] and skinfold thicknesses (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac), conducted bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and calculated indexes [body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-thigh ratio, waist-to-calf ratio, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), trunk-to-arm ratio, body mass index corrected for body fat mass, Body Adiposity Index, conicity index, body shape index, fat mass (percentage), and phase angle]. For evaluating the performance of all adiposity measures/indexes, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Measures of central adiposity WC and WHtR showed the best performances--WC area under the curve (AUC) for men: 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.89; P < 0.05); WC AUC for women: 0.86 (95% CI: 0.81, 0.91; P < 0.05); WHtR AUC for men: 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.88; P < 0.05); and WHtR AUC for women: 0.85 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.91; P < 0.05). All adiposity measures/indexes presented different cutoffs from those proposed for the HIV seronegative population. The cutoffs for WC were 87.75 cm (sensitivity: 82.2%; specificity: 75.5%) for men and 90.5 cm (sensitivity: 84.0%; specificity: 73.0%) for women. Conclusions: The measures/indexes of central adiposity presented excellent associations with predictors of cardiovascular disease risk, and the use of the cutoffs proposed in the present study aims to contribute to the early identification of increasing risk of cardiovascular diseases, enabling interventions. This trial was registered at the Brazilian clinical trials registry Registro brasileiro de ensaios clínicos (Rebec) as RBR-9rcxbq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease, while type 2 (T2D) and gestational diabetes (GDM) are considered metabolic disturbances. In a previous study evaluating the transcript profiling of peripheral mononuclear blood cells obtained from T1D, T2D and GDM patients we showed that the gene profile of T1D patients was closer to GDM than to T2D. To understand the influence of demographical, clinical, laboratory, pathogenetic and treatment features on the diabetes transcript profiling, we performed an analysis integrating these features with the gene expression profiles of the annotated genes included in databases containing information regarding GWAS and immune cell expression signatures. Methods Samples from 56 (19 T1D, 20 T2D, and 17 GDM) patients were hybridized to whole genome one-color Agilent 4x44k microarrays. Non-informative genes were filtered by partitioning, and differentially expressed genes were obtained by rank product analysis. Functional analyses were carried out using the DAVID database, and module maps were constructed using the Genomica tool. Results The functional analyses were able to discriminate between T1D and GDM patients based on genes involved in inflammation. Module maps of differentially expressed genes revealed that modulated genes: i) exhibited transcription profiles typical of macrophage and dendritic cells; ii) had been previously associated with diabetic complications by association and by metaanalysis studies, and iii) were influenced by disease duration, obesity, number of gestations, glucose serum levels and the use of medications, such as metformin. Conclusion This is the first module map study to show the influence of epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, immunopathogenic and treatment features on the transcription profiles of T1D, T2D and GDM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regardless the regulatory function of microRNAs (miRNA), their differential expression pattern has been used to define miRNA signatures and to disclose disease biomarkers. To address the question of whether patients presenting the different types of diabetes mellitus could be distinguished on the basis of their miRNA and mRNA expression profiling, we obtained peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) RNAs from 7 type 1 (T1D), 7 type 2 (T2D), and 6 gestational diabetes (GDM) patients, which were hybridized to Agilent miRNA and mRNA microarrays. Data quantification and quality control were obtained using the Feature Extraction software, and data distribution was normalized using quantile function implemented in the Aroma light package. Differentially expressed miRNAs/mRNAs were identified using Rank products, comparing T1DxGDM, T2DxGDM and T1DxT2D. Hierarchical clustering was performed using the average linkage criterion with Pearson uncentered distance as metrics. Results The use of the same microarrays platform permitted the identification of sets of shared or specific miRNAs/mRNA interaction for each type of diabetes. Nine miRNAs (hsa-miR-126, hsa-miR-1307, hsa-miR-142-3p, hsa-miR-142-5p, hsa-miR-144, hsa-miR-199a-5p, hsa-miR- 27a, hsa-miR-29b, and hsa-miR-342-3p) were shared among T1D, T2D and GDM, and additional specific miRNAs were identified for T1D (20 miRNAs), T2D (14) and GDM (19) patients. ROC curves allowed the identification of specific and relevant (greater AUC values) miRNAs for each type of diabetes, including: i) hsa-miR-1274a, hsa-miR-1274b and hsa-let- 7f for T1D; ii) hsa-miR-222, hsa-miR-30e and hsa-miR-140-3p for T2D, and iii) hsa-miR- 181a and hsa-miR-1268 for GDM. Many of these miRNAs targeted mRNAs associated with diabetes pathogenesis. Conclusions These results indicate that PBMC can be used as reporter cells to characterize the miRNA expression profiling disclosed by the different diabetes mellitus manifestations. Shared miRNAs may characterize diabetes as a metabolic and inflammatory disorder, whereas specific miRNAs may represent biological markers for each type of diabetes, deserving further attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periodontitis, a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), can induce or perpetuate systemic conditions. This double-masked, placebo controlled study evaluated the effects of periodontal therapy (scaling and root planing [SRP]) on the serum levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and on inflammatory biomarkers. Methods: Thirty subjects with type 2 DM and periodontitis were treated with SRP + placebo (SRP; N = 15) or with SRP + doxycycline (SRP+Doxy; N = 15), 100 mg/day, for 14 days. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded at baseline and at 3 months after treatment. Results: After 3 months, the reduction in probing depth was 0.8 mm for the SRP group (P<0.01) and 1.1 mm for the SRP+Doxy group (P<0.01) followed by a 0.9% (SRP; P=0.17) and 1.5% (SRP+Doxy; P <0.01 ) reduction in HbA1c levels. A significant reduction in interleukin (IL) 6; interferon-inducible protein 10; soluble fas ligand; granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; RANTES; and IL-12 p70 serum levels were also verified (N = 30). To our knowledge, this is the first report on the effects of periodontal therapy on multiple systemic inflammatory markers in DM. Conclusions: Periodontal therapy may influence the systemic conditions of patients with type 2 DM, but no statistical difference was observed with the adjunctive systemic doxycycline therapy. Moreover, it is possible that the observed improvement in glycemic control and in the reduction of inflammatory markers could also be due to diet, which was not controlled in our study. Therefore, a confirmatory study with a larger sample size and controlled diet is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of pancreatic β cells. We show here that the protein NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 1 (NLRP1) has a key role in the pathogenesis of mouse and human T1D. More specifically, downregulation of NLRP1 expression occurs during T helper 17 (Th17) differentiation, alongside greater expression of several molecules related to Th17 cell differentiation in a signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3)-dependent pathway. These changes lead to a consequent increase in interleukin 17 (IL-17) production within the pancreas and higher incidence of diabetes in streptozotocin (STZ)-injected mice. Finally, in patients with T1D and a SNP (rs12150220) in NLRP1 , there is a robust decrease in IL-17 levels in serum and in memory Th17 cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Our results demonstrate that NLRP1 acts as a negative regulator of the Th17 cell polarization program, making it an interesting target for intervention during the early stages of T1D. [Display omitted] • NLRP1 has a role in both mouse and human autoimmune diabetes • NLRP1 expressed by T cells downregulates the differentiation of Th17 cells • NLRP1, in a STAT3-dependent pathway, suppresses Th17-signature genes, such as RORγt • IL-17 levels are decreased in T1D patients carrying a SNP (rs12150220) in the NLRP1 gene Costa et al. demonstrate that NLRP1 is important for the differentiation of Th17 cells in both mice and humans with type 1 diabetes. Mechanistically, Nlrp1b expressed by T cells suppresses RORγt in a STAT3-dependent pathway, thus, negatively regulating the differentiation of Th17 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD), Dunnigan variety, is an autosomal dominant disorder caused due to missense mutations in the lamin A/C (LMNA) gene encoding nuclear lamina proteins. Patients with FPLD are predisposed to metabolic complications of insulin resistance such as diabetes. We sought to evaluate and compare body fat distribution with dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry in women with and without FPLD and identify densitometric, clinical and metabolic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Familial partial lipodystrophy of the Dunnigan type is one of the most common inherited lipodystrophies variables. These individuals have important metabolic disorders that cause predisposition to various diseases. In this study we aimed to demonstrate the relation between the metabolic abnormalities, inflammatory profile and the expression of genes involved in the activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in subjects with FPLD. Methods: We evaluated 14 female FPLD patients and compared with 13 female healthy individuals. The subjects were paired with their respective BMI and age and categorized into two groups: Familial partial lipodystrophy of the Dunnigan type (FPLD) and control. Patients were fasted for 12 h before blood collection for measurement of HbA1c, glucose, insulin, lipids and inflammatory markers. Subcutâneous adipose tissue was collected by puncture aspiration of submental region during ambulatorial surgical aesthetic procedure. Results: We demonstrate that patients with FPLD show increased HbA1c (p < 0.01), fasting glucose (p < 0.002) and triglycerides (p < 0.005) while HDL/cholesterol (p < 0.001) was lower when compared to healthy individuals. We found that 64.2% FPLD patients had metabolic syndrome according to International Diabetes Federation definition. We also observe increased AUC of glucose (p < 0.001) and insulin during oGTT, featuring a frame of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, suggesting insulin resistance. Also we found hyperactivation of several genes responsible for ERS such as ATF-4 (p < 0.01), ATF-6 (p < 0.01), EIF2α3K (p < 0.005), CCT4 (p < 0.001), CHOP (p < 0.01), CALR (p < 0.001) and CANX (p < 0.005), that corroborate the idea that diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome are associated with direct damage to the endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis. Ultimately, we note that individuals with lipodystrophy have an increase in serum interleukins, keys of the inflammatory process, as IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 (p < 0.05 all), compared with healthy individuals, which can be the trigger to insulin resistance in this population. Conclusion: Individuals with FPLD besides having typical dysfunctions of metabolic syndrome, show a hyperactivation of ERS associated with increased systemic inflammatory profile, which together may explain the complex clinical aspect of this diseases. Trial registration HCRP no 6711/2012 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is associated with a number of genetic and environmental factors. Hyperglycemia, a T2D hallmark, is related to several metabolic complications, comorbidities and increased DNA damage. However, the molecular alterations of a proper glucose control are still unclarified. In this study, we aimed to evaluate DNA damage (comet assay), as well as to compare the transcriptional expression (mRNA and miRNA analyzed by the microarray technique) displayed by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from three distinct groups: hyperglycemic T2D patients (T2D-H, n = 14), non-hyperglycemic T2D patients (T2D-N, n = 15), and healthy non-diabetic individuals ( n = 16). The comet assay revealed significantly ( p < 0.05) higher levels of DNA damage in T2D-H group compared to both T2D-N and control groups, while a significant difference was not observed between the control and T2D-N groups. After bioinformatics analysis, the differentially expressed mRNAs were subjected to functional enrichment analysis (DAVID) and inflammatory response was among the enriched terms found when comparing T2D-N with controls and T2D-H with T2D-N. Concerning the gene set enrichment and gene set analyses, among the differentially expressed gene sets, three were of interest: regulation of DNA repair (T2D-H versus T2D-N), superoxide response (T2D-H versus control group), and response to endoplasmic reticulum stress (T2D-H versus control group). We also identified miRNAs related with T2D and hyperglycemia not yet associated with these conditions in the literature. Some of the differentially expressed mRNAs were among the predicted targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs. Our results showed the association of hyperglycemia with increased DNA damage and aberrant expression of miRNAs and genes related to several biological processes, such as inflammation, DNA repair, ROS production and antioxidant defense, highlighting the importance of proper glycemic control. Moreover, the transcriptional expression of miRNAs provided novel information for understanding the regulatory mechanisms involved in the T2D progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Hyperglycemia leads to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which reduces cellular antioxidant defenses and induces several DNA lesions. We investigated the effects on DNA damage of a seven-day hospitalization period in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to achieve adequate blood glucose levels through dietary intervention and medication treatment, compared with non-diabetic individuals. Methods DNA damage levels were evaluated by the alkaline comet assay (with modified and without conventional use of hOGG1 enzyme, which detects oxidized DNA bases) for 10 patients and 16 controls. Real time PCR array method was performed to analyze the transcriptional expression of a set of 84 genes implicated in antioxidant defense and response to oxidative stress in blood samples from T2DM patients ( n = 6) collected before and after the hospitalization period. Results The seven-day period was sufficient to improve glycemic control and to significantly decrease ( p < 0.05) DNA damage levels in T2DM patients, although those levels were slightly higher than those in control subjects. We also found a tendency towards a decrease in the levels of oxidative DNA damage in T2DM patients after the hospitalization period. However, for all genes analyzed, a statistically significant difference in the transcriptional expression levels was not observed. Conclusions The study demonstrated that although the transcriptional expression of the genes studied did not show significant alterations, one-week of glycemic control in hospital resulted in a significant reduction in DNA damage levels detected in T2DM patients, highlighting the importance of an adequate glycemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) results from an autoimmune attack against the insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells, leading to elimination of insulin production. The exact cause of this disorder is still unclear. Although the differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs that control gene expression in a post-transcriptional manner, has been identified in many diseases, including T1DM, only scarce information exists concerning miRNA expression profile in T1DM. Thus, we employed the microarray technology to examine the miRNA expression profiles displayed by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from T1DM patients compared with healthy subjects. Total RNA extracted from PBMCs from 11 T1DM patients and nine healthy subjects was hybridized onto Agilent human miRNA microarray slides (V3), 8x15K, and expression data were analyzed on R statistical environment. After applying the rank products statistical test, the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated and the areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were calculated. To examine the functions of the differentially expressed (p-value<0.01, percentage of false-positives <0.05) miRNAs that passed the AUC cutoff value ≥0.90, the database miRWalk was used to predict their potential targets, which were afterwards submitted to the functional annotation tool provided by the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), version 6.7, using annotations from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. We found 57 probes, corresponding to 44 different miRNAs (35 up-regulated and 9 down-regulated), that were differentially expressed in T1DM and passed the AUC threshold of 0.90. The hierarchical clustering analysis indicated the discriminatory power of those miRNAs, since they were able to clearly distinguish T1DM patients from healthy individuals. Target prediction indicated that 47 candidate genes for T1DM are potentially regulated by the differentially expressed miRNAs. After performing functional annotation analysis of the predicted targets, we observed 22 and 12 annotated KEGG pathways for the induced and repressed miRNAs, respectively. Interestingly, many pathways were enriched for the targets of both up- and down-regulated miRNAs and the majority of those pathways have been previously associated with T1DM, including many cancer-related pathways. In conclusion, our study indicated miRNAs that may be potential biomarkers of T1DM as well as provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in this disorder. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) exhibit insulin resistance associated with obesity and inflammatory response, besides an increased level of oxidative DNA damage as a consequence of the hyperglycemic condition and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In order to provide information on the mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of T2DM, we analyzed the transcriptional expression patterns exhibited by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with T2DM compared to non-diabetic subjects, by investigating several biological processes: inflammatory and immune responses, responses to oxidative stress and hypoxia, fatty acid processing, and DNA repair. PBMCs were obtained from 20 T2DM patients and eight non-diabetic subjects. Total RNA was hybridized to Agilent whole human genome 4×44K one-color oligo-microarray. Microarray data were analyzed using the GeneSpring GX 11.0 software (Agilent). We used BRB-ArrayTools software (gene set analysis — GSA) to investigate significant gene sets and the Genomica tool to study a possible influence of clinical features on gene expression profiles. We showed that PBMCs from T2DM patients presented significant changes in gene expression, exhibiting 1320 differentially expressed genes compared to the control group. A great number of genes were involved in biological processes implicated in the pathogenesis of T2DM. Among the genes with high fold-change values, the up-regulated ones were associated with fatty acid metabolism and protection against lipid-induced oxidative stress, while the down-regulated ones were implicated in the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines production and DNA repair. Moreover, we identified two significant signaling pathways: adipocytokine, related to insulin resistance; and ceramide, related to oxidative stress and induction of apoptosis. In addition, expression profiles were not influenced by patient features, such as age, gender, obesity, pre/post-menopause age, neuropathy, glycemia, and HbA1c percentage. Hence, by studying expression profiles of PBMCs, we provided quantitative and qualitative differences and similarities between T2DM patients and non-diabetic individuals, contributing with new perspectives for a better understanding of the disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]