The relationship of vitamin D status with the development and course of diabetes mellitus type 1

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease that develops as a result of a genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Literature data indicate that the suboptimal status of vitamin D can be considered as a risk factor for the development of T1DM, especially at some stages of life. Adequate vitamin D supplementation in childhood may provide a protective effect and reduce the risk of developing T1DM at a later age. Pathogenesis of T1DM predisposes to abnormalities in the metabolism of vitamin D, including the development of vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, the immunomodulating effect of calcitriol (induction of immune tolerance and T-cell anergy, impaired B-cell activity and antibodies production) suggests the therapeutic potential of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases, including T1DM. A number of studies have demonstrated the positive clinical effects of various vitamin D preparations with respect to maintaining residual β-cell function, improving glycemia control in patients with T1DM. Determining the optimal doses of vitamin D for patients with T1DM may contribute to disease control and prevention of complications

Pegvisomant and current approaches to the medical treatment of acromegaly (literature review and case report)

This review provides the main results of clinical trials and the literature on the experience of using pegvisomant, the first drug from the class of growth hormone receptor antagonists. The mechanism of action of the drug, its effectiveness with respect to disease control and its effect on complications, information on adverse events, and brief information on the experience of use during pregnancy are discussed in detail. In conclusion, a clinical observation of successful use of pegvisomant in resistant to standart treatment acromegaly is given. A discussion of the available literature data, the results of clinical studies and practical experience allows us to conclude that the drug is highly effective in terms of achieving biochemical remission of acromegaly, and also has a number of additional valuable properties: it is capable of improvement of patients’ glucose metabolism and quality of life and has a minimal amount of adverse events. Pegvisomant is currently registered in the Russian Federation only for use in monotherapy; the possibility of combination therapy with somatostatin analogues will additionally allow to reliably control the growth of the pituitary adenoma and significantly cut treatment costs by reducing the dose of pegvisomant. These features of the drug make it very relevant when discussing issues related to drug therapy of acromegaly, and suggest a good prospect for use in clinical practice