Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 levels are increased and partially related to body fat distribution in patients with familial partial lipodystrophy type 2

Abstract Background Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DDP4) is an enzyme responsible for glucagon-like peptide-1 inactivation and plays an important role in glucose metabolism. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate DPP4 levels in patients with familial partial lipodystrophy type 2 (FPLD2) and correlate it with body fat distribution. Methods Fourteen patients with FPLD2 were selected to participate in this study and matched to a healthy control group (n = 8). All participants had anthropometrical data registered. Body adiposity index (BAI) was used to evaluate fat distribution in this population. Body fat content and distribution were analyzed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Biochemical exams, including DPP4 levels, were performed in all individuals. Results Despite the same body mass index, lipodystrophic patients had a significant lower hip (median 92.0 vs 94.5; p = 0.028), HDL cholesterol (42.6 ± 10.4 vs 66.1 ± 16.0; p < 0.01) and BAI (24.1 ± 2.8 vs 29.0 ± 3.7; p = 0.02), suggesting that BAI was able to catch differences in fat distribution between groups. On the other hand, patients with FPLD2 presented significant higher levels of insulin (median 11.2 vs 5.3; p = 0.015), triglycerides (184.9 ± 75.4 vs 89.1 ± 51.0; p < 0.01) and DPP4 (4.89 ± 0.92 vs 3.93 ± 1.08; p = 0.04). A trend toward an inverse statistical significance was observed between DPP4 levels and BAI (r = −0.38; p = 0.072). In the lipodistrophic group, a significant correlation was found between DPP4 levels and percentage of total body fat (r = 0.86; p = 0.0025) and android fat (r = 0.78; p = 0.014). Conclusions Patients with FPLD2 exhibit an increase in DDP4 levels in comparison to a healthy control group. The increase in the levels of this enzyme does not seem to be related to the diagnosis of diabetes and might be associated with an increase in central fat (estimated using BAI and measured using DXA). These results might be used to reinforce the concept that DDP4 is an adipokine related to central fat distribution

Aspectos patológicos de 155 casos fatais de cães atropelados por veículos automotivos Pathological aspects of 155 fatal cases of dogs victimized by motor vehicles accidents

O atropelamento por veículos automotivos contribui significativamente para as estatísticas de morte em cães. Entretanto, há poucos estudos sobre os aspectos patológicos reportados na literatura. Este artigo descreve 155 casos fatais de atropelamento por veículos automotivos em cães. Dos 155 cães atropelados, em 138 (89,0%) havia lesões que explicavam a morte ou a razão para a eutanásia desses cães. Essas lesões incluíram traumatismo espinhal-medular (43 [27,7%]), ruptura de órgãos parenquimatosos (40 [25,8%]), traumatismo cranioencefálico (28 [18,1%]), ruptura de órgãos ocos (16 [10,3%]), fratura de costelas com laceração de órgãos parenquimatosos (15 [9,7%]) e ruptura de diafragma com deslocamento de vísceras abdominais para a cavidade torácica (10 [6,4%]).Motor vehicle-related trauma significantly contributes to death statistics of dogs. There are however few documented reports on the pathological aspects of such cases. This paper describes 155 fatal cases of dogs victimized by motor vehicle accidents. In 138 (89.0%) of the 155 dogs hit by motor vehicles there were lesions that could explain the death or reason for these dogs being euthanatized. These lesions included vertebrospinal trauma (43 [27.7%]), rupture of parenchymal organs (40 [25.8%]), cranioencephalic trauma (28 [18.1%]), rupture of hollow organs (16 [10.3%]), rib fracture with subsequent laceration of parenchymal organs (15 [9.7%]), and diaphragmatic rupture with displacement of abdominal viscera into the thoracic cavity (10 [6.4%])