From islet transplantation to beta-cell regeneration: an update on beta-cell-based therapeutic approaches in type 1 diabetes.

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) mellitus is an autoimmune disease in which immune cells, predominantly effector T cells, destroy insulin-secreting beta-cells. Beta-cell destruction led to various consequences ranging from retinopathy and nephropathy to neuropathy. Different strategies have been developed to achieve normoglycemia, including exogenous glucose compensation, whole pancreas transplantation, islet transplantation, and beta-cell replacement.

TRAIL induces proliferation in rodent pancreatic beta cells via AKT activation.

Strategies to increase functional pancreatic beta cell mass is of great interest in diabetes-related research. TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is well known to promote proliferation and survival in various cell types, including vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Correlation between the protective nature of TRAIL on these cells and its proliferative effect is noteworthy.

Cytopathology-histopathology correlation and the effect of nodule diameter on diagnostic performance in patients undergoing thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

Introduction: Although thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is established to have a good overall sensitivity and specificity, various outcomes have been reported on its performance in large nodules. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of FNAB and the effect of the nodule diameter on its diagnostic performance.

Materials And Methods: The outcomes of a total of 7319 patients who underwent FNAB over the course of 5 years were analyzed retrospectively and 648 patients who had undergone post-FNAB thyroidectomy or lobectomy were included in the study.

Cystic lateral neck mass: Thyroid carcinoma metastasis to branchial cleft cyst.

Etiologies of lateral cervical masses are complex, most commonly these masses are branchial cleft cysts; however, metastatic thyroid carcinoma should be included in the differential. We report a case of lateral cystic neck mass in a 22-year-old female patient diagnosed as metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma. The patient was diagnosed after she underwent surgery for branchial cleft cyst.

Diagnostic value of the late-night salivary cortisol in the diagnosis of clinical and subclinical Cushing's syndrome: results of a single-center 7-year experience.

Late-night salivary cortisol (LNSaC) is an easy-to-use test reflecting the free cortisol level in the serum and does not require hospitalization. Controlled studies reported that LNSaC has a high sensitivity and specificity, but have not set a clearly defined cut-off value to be used in the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of LNSaC in patients with clinical Cushing's syndrome (CCS) and subclinical Cushing's syndrome (SCS).

HIV-based lentivirus-mediated vasoactive intestinal peptide gene delivery protects against DIO animal model of Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterised by insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and beta cell loss leading to hyperglycemia. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been regarded as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of T2DM because of its insulinotropic and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite these beneficial properties, VIP is extremely sensitive to peptidases (DPP-4) requiring constant infusion or multiple injections to observe any therapeutic benefit.

Bone metastases without primary tumor: A well-differentiated follicular thyroid carcinoma case.

Metastases to the bone are the most common malignant bone tumors. Prostate, breast, and lung carcinomas are the most common primaries of bone metastases. Bone metastases show poor prognosis in means of median survival; however, some patients with highly curable tumors such as thyroid carcinoma may benefit from treatment.

Therapeutic Potential of Lentivirus-Mediated Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Gene Therapy for Diabetes.

Postprandial glucose-induced insulin secretion from the islets of Langerhans is facilitated by glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-a metabolic hormone with insulinotropic properties. Among the variety of effects it mediates, GLP-1 induces delta cell secretion of somatostatin, inhibits alpha cell release of glucagon, reduces gastric emptying, and slows food intake. These events collectively contribute to weight loss over time.

Evaluation of Incidental Thyroid Nodules in Cancer Patients.

Objective: Frequency of thyroid cancer in incidental thyroid nodules identified by imaging techniques in cancer patients is higher than that in the normal population. In the retrospective study, we have both investigated the incidence of thyroid cancer in incidentally identified nodules and compared the imaging techniques to determine whether there is any difference between them in detection of malign nodules.

Methods: A total of 7319 patients who underwent thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) were included in the study.

Which type 2 diabetes mellitus patients should be screened for subclinical Cushing's syndrome?

Objective: Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance are common in patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS). In this study we investigated the incidence of subclinical Cushing's syndrome (SCS) in type 2 diabetic patients with poor and good metabolic control and the relationship between blood glucose and cortisol levels.

Design: A total of 400 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients (Group A, HbA1c ≥8%, n=250; Group B, HbA1c ≤6.

ASSESSMENT OF DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION, ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, AND CAROTID INTIMA-MEDIA THICKNESS IN PATIENTS WITH ACROMEGALY.

Objective: Early diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in acromegaly, may be an efficient approach to extending the lifespan of affected patients. Therefore, it is crucial to determine any cardiovascular diseases in the subclinical period. The study objectives were to determine markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and asses heart structure and function.

Parathyroidectomy in asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism reduces carotid intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness.

Objective: Although an International Workshop has suggested that cardiovascular assessment in asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients is not necessary, improvements in risk factors of subclinical atherosclerosis have been shown following parathyroidectomy. The objectives of this study were to determine whether parathyroidectomy in asymptomatic PHPT patients causes any change in carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), arterial stiffness [pulse wave velocity (PWV)] and soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) levels.

Design: Prospective study evaluating female patients diagnosed with asymptomatic PHPT in a single centre over a 6-month period.

Incretins: their physiology and application in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Therapies targeting the action of incretin hormones have been under close scrutiny in recent years. The incretin effect has been defined as postprandial enhancement of insulin secretion by gut-derived factors. Likewise, incretin mimetics and incretin effect amplifiers are the two different incretin-based treatment strategies developed for the treatment of diabetes.

GLP-1-mediated gene therapy approaches for diabetes treatment.

Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 is an incretin hormone with several antidiabetic functions including stimulation of glucose-dependent insulin secretion, increase in insulin gene expression and beta-cell survival. Despite the initial technical difficulties and profound inefficiency of direct gene transfer into the pancreas that seriously restricted in vivo gene transfer experiments with GLP-1, recent exploitation of various routes of gene delivery and alternative means of gene transfer has permitted the detailed assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of GLP-1 in animal models of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). As a result, many clinical benefits of GLP-1 peptide/analogues observed in clinical trials involving induction of glucose tolerance, reduction of hyperglycaemia, suppression of appetite and food intake linked to weight loss have been replicated in animal models using gene therapy.

Clinical utility of insulin and insulin analogs.

Diabetes is a pandemic disease characterized by autoimmune, genetic and metabolic abnormalities. While insulin deficiency manifested as hyperglycemia is a common sequel of both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes (T1DM and T2DM), it does not result from a single genetic defect--rather insulin deficiency results from the functional loss of pancreatic β cells due to multifactorial mechanisms. Since pancreatic β cells of patients with T1DM are destroyed by autoimmune reaction, these patients require daily insulin injections.

Insulin gene therapy from design to beta cell generation.

Despite the fact that insulin injection can protect diabetic patients from developing diabetes-related complications, recent meta-analyses indicate that rapid and long-acting insulin analogues only provide a limited benefit compared with conventional insulin regarding glycemic control. As insulin deficiency is the main sequel of type-1 diabetes (T1D), transfer of the insulin gene-by-gene therapy is becoming an attractive treatment modality even though T1D is not caused by a single genetic defect. In contrast to human insulin and insulin analogues, insulin gene therapy targets to supplement patients not only with insulin but also with C-peptide.

Molecular mechanisms of death ligand-mediated immune modulation: a gene therapy model to prolong islet survival in type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes results from the T cell-mediated destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Islet transplantation has recently become a potential therapeutic approach for patients with type 1 diabetes. However, islet-graft failure appears to be a challenging issue to overcome.