Diabetes and infection: review of the epidemiology, mechanisms and principles of treatment.

An association between diabetes and infection has been recognised for many years, with infection being an important cause of death and morbidity in people with diabetes. The COVID-19 pandemic has re-kindled an interest in the complex relationship between diabetes and infection. Some infections occur almost exclusively in people with diabetes, often with high mortality rates without early diagnosis and treatment.

Prediction of women's long-term cardiometabolic risks using glycemic indices during pregnancy.

Aims: To study the prediction of abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT), diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Chinese women using glycemic indices in the mid-trimester of pregnancy.

Methods: A cohort of Chinese women who had had either normal glucose tolerance or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during a pregnancy were assessed at a median of 8 and 15 years post-delivery. All women underwent a 50-g glucose challenge test (GCT) and a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test in the mid-trimester of the index pregnancy.

The GIANT study, a cluster-randomised controlled trial of efficacy of education of doctors about type 2 diabetes mellitus management guidelines in primary care practice.

Objectives: Primary aim: does general practitioner (GP) education on type 2 diabetes treatment improve HbA1c? Secondary aim: cardiovascular risk factors, hypoglycaemia, treatment intensification, health service utilisation, treatment barriers.

Methods: 99 Asia-Pacific GPs were cluster-randomised to be educated on regional diabetes management guidelines (intervention) or continue standard care (control). The intervention employed meetings, reminders, medical record summary sheets and patient result cards.

Cardiometabolic risk in Chinese women with prior gestational diabetes: a 15-year follow-up study.

Aims: The progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and other long-term cardiometabolic risks in Chinese women with prior history of gestational diabetes (GD) was studied at 15 years postpartum.

Methods: 139 Chinese women (45 with GD and 94 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) at the index pregnancy) who had their insulin sensitivity and β-cell functions examined at 8 years postpartum were again followed up at 15 years for the investigation of the rate of type 2 DM, hypertension and metabolic syndrome.

Results: Women with prior history of GD had a significantly higher rate of hypertension (35.

Evaluation of functional and malignant adrenal incidentalomas.

Background: Adrenal incidentalomas are adrenal masses discovered inadvertently. We undertook this study to review the clinical characteristics of patients with adrenal incidentalomas who presented to a tertiary endocrine center in Hong Kong.

Methods: Retrospective review of all 139 cases of adrenal incidentalomas that were referred to the Endocrine Centre of the Prince of Wales Hospital between June 1, 2000, and May 31, 2007.

Glucose intolerance and cardiovascular risk factors in Hong Kong: data from two occupation-based cross-sectional surveys.

Aims: To examine the distribution of plasma glucose and related cardiovascular risk factors in two occupation-based cross-sectional surveys in a Chinese ethnic population.

Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys in a Hong Kong working population. In 1990, 1496 participants aged 18-66 years underwent an OGTT, anthropometric, and other biochemical measures.

Acute encephalopathy associated with influenza A infection in adults.

We report acute encephalopathy associated with influenza A infection in 3 adults. We detected high cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma concentrations of CXCL8/IL-8 and CCL2/MCP-1 (CSF/plasma ratios > or =3), and interleukin-6, CXCL10/IP-10, but no evidence of viral neuroinvasion. Patients recovered without sequelae.

Role of 'atypical pathogens' among adult hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Background And Objective: Agents such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila are recognized as important causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) worldwide. This study examined the role of these 'atypical pathogens' (AP) among adult hospitalized patients with CAP.

Methods: A prospective, observational study of consecutive adult CAP (clinico-radiological diagnosis) patients hospitalized during 2004-2005 was conducted.

Viral loads and duration of viral shedding in adult patients hospitalized with influenza.

Background: The goal of this study was to characterize viral loads and factors affecting viral clearance in persons with severe influenza.

Methods: This was a 1-year prospective, observational study involving consecutive adults hospitalized with influenza. Nasal and throat swabs were collected at presentation, then daily until 1 week after symptom onset.

Glucose intolerance and cardiometabolic risk in children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus in utero.

Objective: The goal was to examine the carbohydrate tolerance and cardiometabolic risk among children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus in utero.

Methods: In this study, 164 Chinese children whose mothers had participated in a previous study on the screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (63 had gestational diabetes mellitus and 101 had normal glucose tolerance during the index pregnancies) underwent follow-up evaluations at a median age of 8 years (range: 7-10 years). Children's weight, height, hip and waist circumferences, and blood pressure were measured, and weight-adjusted oral glucose tolerance tests were performed.

Cytokine responses in a severe case of glandular fever treated successfully with foscarnet combined with prednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin.

Viral loads and cytokine responses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were measured in an 18-year-old boy with severe glandular fever complicated by a mild anaemia, severe thrombocytopaenia and neutropaenia. Hepatosplenomegaly was detected by abdominal ultrasound in the presence of significant hepatitis. Cytokine testing demonstrated elevated cell-mediated Th1 (IFN-gamma, IL-12, sTNFR1, CXCL10, CXCL9 and CCL3) and humoral Th2 (IL-4) immune responses.

Use of anti-diabetic drugs and glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes-tThe Hong Kong Diabetes Registry.

In this report, we examined the usage of anti-diabetic treatments including oral anti-diabetic drug (OAD) and/or insulin and their combination from baseline data of a consecutive cohort of 7549 Chinese type 2 diabetic subjects in the Hong Kong Diabetes Registry. Pattern of usage of anti-diabetic treatment and corresponding glycemic control was analyzed. OAD failure was defined as the need to add insulin to maintain glycemic target (glycated hemoglobin, HbA(1c) level<7%) with or without continuation of OAD.

Failure to confirm HIV infection in two end-stage HIV/AIDS patients using a popular commercial line immunoassay.

Immunoassays using either viral lysate (Western blot) or recombinant/synthetic antigen (immunoblot) for anti-HIV capture are still the preferred method to confirm HIV infection. Two cases of HIV-1-infected patients presented with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining illnesses. Laboratory tests were performed using multiple commercial HIV test kits on multiple sera from both patients over several weeks.

Risk factors associated with life-threatening rickettsial infections.

We retrospectively analyzed 92 cases of severe rickettsial infections in patients (median age = 49 years, 57% male, 37.0% with scrub typhus) in Hong Kong. Immunofluorescence assay was used for diagnostic confirmation.

A novel CASR gene mutation in an octogenarian with asymptomatic hypercalcaemia.

An increasing number of patients are diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism after having hypercalcaemia detected incidentally during routine biochemical screening. Many are asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. An 80-year-old woman was found to have asymptomatic hypercalcaemia.

Thresholds of risk factors for ischemic stroke in type 2 diabetic patients with and without albuminuria: a non-linear approach.

Objectives: Multiple risk factors in type 2 diabetes may explain their high risk for ischemic stroke (IS). However, it remains unknown whether these risk factors exhibit threshold characteristics and whether these relationships are influenced by albuminuria. The study aims to investigate whether risk factors exhibit any albuminuria specific threshold for IS.

Predicting values of lipids and white blood cell count for all-site cancer in type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetic patients have increased cancer risk. We developed and validated an all-site cancer risk score in a prospective cohort of 7374 Chinese type 2 diabetic patients free of known history of cancer at enrolment, using split-half validation. Spline Cox model was used to detect common risk factors of cancer and to guide linear transformation of non-linear risk factors.

Erectile dysfunction predicts coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes.

Objectives: We examined the predictive power of erectile dysfunction (ED) on coronary heart disease (CHD) events in Chinese men with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Subjects with diabetes are prone to develop cardiovascular complications. Erectile dysfunction is strongly associated with CHD in cross-sectional studies, but prospective data are lacking.

Independent associations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels with cardiovascular risk factor clustering in Chinese adolescents.

Background/aims: To establish the prevalence of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentrations in Chinese adolescents, and to explore the nature of associations amongst ALT, obesity and cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: Anthropometric measurements and fasting plasma glucose, insulin, lipids and ALT were measured in 2102 Chinese adolescents, aged 12-18 years, randomly selected from 14 secondary schools in Hong Kong.

Results: The prevalence of elevated ALT levels was 3.

Development and validation of a risk score for hospitalization for heart failure in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: There are no risk scores available for predicting heart failure in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Based on the Hong Kong Diabetes Registry, this study aimed to develop and validate a risk score for predicting heart failure that needs hospitalisation in T2DM.

Methods: 7067 Hong Kong Chinese diabetes patients without history of heart failure, and without history and clinical evidence of coronary heart disease at baseline were analyzed.

Effects of albuminuria and renal dysfunction on development of dyslipidaemia in type 2 diabetes--the Hong Kong Diabetes Registry.

Background: It is uncertain whether albuminuria precedes the future development of high total cholesterol (TC > 6.2 mmol/l) and high LDL-C (>4.1 mmol/l) while renal dysfunction precedes the future development of low HDL-C (<0.

Development and validation of an all-cause mortality risk score in type 2 diabetes.

Background: Diabetes reduces life expectancy by 10 to 12 years, but whether death can be predicted in type 2 diabetes mellitus remains uncertain.

Methods: A prospective cohort of 7583 type 2 diabetic patients enrolled since 1995 were censored on July 30, 2005, or after 6 years of follow-up, whichever came first. A restricted cubic spline model was used to check data linearity and to develop linear-transforming formulas.