Patterns of diabetes care in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania : An observational, non-interventional, cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: National guidelines for treating type 2 diabetes in the Balkans generally follow European guidelines. The current study was undertaken to estimate the rate of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurements and level of HbA1c control in diabetic patients treated in regular clinical practice settings in the Balkans and to evaluate if providing HbA1c measurements improves adherence to treatment guidelines. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled type 2 diabetic patients treated by 79 primary care physicians and 102 specialists. The participants were provided with HbA1c measuring devices to measure HbA1c during regular office visits and a physician survey evaluated HbA1c the results feedback. Relevant clinical, demographic, drug treatment and specialist referral data were extracted from patient charts. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multivariate regression analysis were used. RESULTS: Among 1853 patients included (average age 63.5 ± 10.7 years, 51% male) the average diabetes duration was 8.9 ± 7.1 years, 40% of patients had HbA1c measured every 6 months and 34% every 12 months (or less frequently). The rate of 6‑month measurement was higher among specialists (43%) vs. primary care physicians (32%, p < 0.01). The average HbA1c was 7.3 ± 1.5 and 35% of patients achieved the target HbA1c level of < 6.5%. Metformin monotherapy was prescribed to 28% of patients and metformin + sulphonylurea to 23%, 55% of patients on metformin monotherapy and 32% of patients on dual therapy metformin + sulphonylurea achieved the target HbA1c < 6.5%. Treatment remained unchanged in 91% and was stepped up in only 7.2% of patients. Physicians were not surprised (in 79% of patients) or were pleasantly surprised (in 11%) by the HbA1c results at the time of visit. Average diabetes duration and patient use of home glucometers were associated with the level of disease control. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of HbA1c measurements remain low in the Balkans, although higher among specialists. Over 60% of patients, mostly treated with traditional oral antidiabetics did not achieve disease control. Providing convenient HbA1c measurement devices was not associated with a marked change in diabetes management. Future research is needed to evaluate the impact of these treatment patterns on long-term outcomes and costs to society

Molecular evolution of HoxA13 and the multiple origins of limbless morphologies in amphibians and reptiles

Developmental processes and their results, morphological characters, are inherited through transmission of genes regulating development. While there is ample evidence that cis-regulatory elements tend to be modular, with sequence segments dedicated to different roles, the situation for proteins is less clear, being particularly complex for transcription factors with multiple functions. Some motifs mediating protein-protein interactions may be exclusive to particular developmental roles, but it is also possible that motifs are mostly shared among different processes. Here we focus on HoxA13, a protein essential for limb development. We asked whether the HoxA13 amino acid sequence evolved similarly in three limbless clades: Gymnophiona, Amphisbaenia and Serpentes. We explored variation in ω (dN/dS) using a maximum-likelihood framework and HoxA13sequences from 47 species. Comparisons of evolutionary models provided low ω global values and no evidence that HoxA13 experienced relaxed selection in limbless clades. Branch-site models failed to detect evidence for positive selection acting on any site along branches of Amphisbaena and Gymnophiona, while three sites were identified in Serpentes. Examination of alignments did not reveal consistent sequence differences between limbed and limbless species. We conclude that HoxA13 has no modules exclusive to limb development, which may be explained by its involvement in multiple developmental processes

L'évaluation de l'état nutritionnel péri-opératoire

Entre les actes chirurgicaux et l'état métabolique il existe des nombreuses interactions. D'un côté, la réponse catabolique majeure induite par la chirurgie viscérale peut être contrôlée par une supplémentation nutritionnelle précoce, ce qui diminuerait la morbidité et la mortalité postopératoire et aussi les durées d'hospitalisation. L'albuminémie préopératoire est un bon facteur prédictif de l'état nutritionnel postopératoire, corrélée avec un pronostic postopératoire inférieure. La préalbumine reflète de façon plus sensible l'évolution de l'état nutritionnel. Principale hormone orexigène, la ghréline présente une cinétique perturbée lors des périodes postopératoires avec une augmentation de sa sécrétion au moment de la reprise de la nutrition entérale et des concentrations postopératoires moyennes inférieures à celles normales. Ces observations posent la question de l'utilité d'un traitement par analogues de la ghréline. De l'autre côté, la chirurgie bariatrique peut corriger les perturbations métaboliques corrélées à l'obésité, mais son efficacité n'est pas absolue. Par contre, en utilisant certains critères clinique (âge, IMC, présence d'un diabète sucré) et biologiques (insulino-résistance, taux d'IGF1), cette efficacité devient prédictible pour les interventions d'insertion d'anneau gastriqueSurgical interventions can have several effects on the metabolic status. On one hand, the important catabolic response caused by major digestive surgery can be controlled through an early nutritional support, which could reduce the mortality, morbidity and also the duration of hospitalization. The preoperative albumin level is a reliable predictive factor of the postoperative nutritional status and correlates to a worse postoperative prognosis. The prealbumin reflects in the most sensitive manner the evolution of the nutritional status. As the main orexigen hormone, ghrelin has a disturbed cynetics in the postoperative period with an augmentation of its secretion corresponding to the reintroduction of the enteral nutrition and mean postoperative concentrations that are lower than normal. These observations raise the question of the utility o a ghreline analogues treatment. On the other hand, bariatric surgery could correct the metabolic disturbances associated to obesity, but its efficacy is not absolute. However, by using certain clinical (age, BMI, presence of a diabetes mellitus) and biological (insulin-resistance, IGF1 level criteria, this efficac can be redictable in the case of gastric bandingST ETIENNE-Bib. électronique (422189901) / SudocSudocFranceF

IS THERE A PLACE FOR ANTI-NUCLEOSOME ANTIBODY ASSESSMENT IN SCLERODERMA?

Introduction. The hallmarks of systemic sclerosis (SSc) include microangiopathy, autonomic dysfunction, as well as immune disturbance and the widespread fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs. While the significance of SSc-specific autoantibodies such as anti-centromere and anti-topoisomerase I has long been demonstrated, the clinical relevance of non-specific autoantibodies remains a matter of debate. Our primary objective was to assess the relationships between non-SSc-specific antibody titers and the clinical characteristics of scleroderma patients. Secondary objectives included a comparison between SSc, SLE and healthy controls (HC) with respect to autoantibody values, as well as the analysis of the immune disturbance in elderly individuals in the 3 groups. Material and method. We conducted a cross-sectional study in which we recruited 67 adult patients with SSc, 67 age and gender-matched individuals with SLE and healthy controls (HC). Biological samples (venous blood) were collected in order to determine the levels of anti-SSA/Ro, anti-SSB/La, anti-U1RNP and anti-nucleosome antibodies (ELISA). We recorded the presence of digital ulcers (DUs), ILD (thoracic X-rays), and PAH (Doppler echocardiography) in the scleroderma cohort. Results. The frequency of anti-nucleosome antibody positivity in the scleroderma group exceeded our expectations, resembling that of lupus patients. Moreover, our findings indicate an association between serum anti-nucleosome antibody titers and SSc-related cardiopulmonary involvement. Anti-U1RNP antibodies were linked to PAH. We did not identify a notable relationship between the 4 autoantibodies studied and DUs. However, the latter were significantly more frequent in male patients. Although elderly individuals with scleroderma did not demonstrate a significantly decreased autoantibody production, lupus patients over 60 years of age exhibited a decline in anti-nucleosome antibody titers. Discussions. Earlier research reported an association between anti-nucleosome and anti-U1RNP antibodies with SSc-related cardiopulmonary impairment. Moreover, male gender is currently regarded as an important risk factor for the development of scleroderma DUs. Conclusions. Recent research provides new insights on the pathogenic processes of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, in an attempt to identify potential risk factors for organ involvement. Our study confirms the link between anti-nucleosome antibodies and cardiopulmonary involvement in the SSc population. Moreover, the impact of immunosenescence on the dynamics of autoantibody production in connective tissue diseases remains in need of further investigation