Publications by authors named "Margherita Occhipinti"

Aim: Data on the efficacy of oral semaglutide (OS) in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes are still lacking. This study evaluates the effectiveness of OS in a real world setting with a large ≥75 year old population.

Methods: This study includes all type 2 diabetic patients who started OS between October 2021 and December 2023 in seven diabetes centers.

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Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists are being used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and may have beneficial effects on the pancreatic β-cells. Here, we evaluated the effects of GLP-1R agonism on insulin secretory granule (ISG) dynamics in primary β-cells isolated from human islets exposed to palmitate-induced lipotoxic stress. Islets cells were exposed for 48 h to 0.

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Background: Physiologically regulated insulin secretion and euglycemia are achievable in type 1 diabetes (T1D) by islet or pancreas transplantation. However, pancreas transplant alone (PTA) remains a debated approach, with uncertainties on its relative benefits and risks. We determined the actual long-term (10 y) efficacy and safety of PTA in carefully characterized T1D subjects.

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Duodenal graft complications are poorly reported complications of pancreas transplantation that can result in graft loss. Excluding patients with early graft failure, after a median follow-up period of 126 months (range 23-198) duodenectomy was required in 14 of 312 pancreas transplants (4.5%).

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To search for clues suggesting that beta cells may generate by transdifferentiation in humans, we assessed the presence of cells double positive for exocrine (amylase, carboxypeptidase A) and endocrine (insulin) markers in the pancreas of non-diabetic individuals (ND) and patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Samples from twelve ND and twelve matched T2D multiorgan donors were studied by electron microscopy, including amylase and insulin immunogold labeling; carboxypeptidase A immunofluorescence light microscopy assessment was also performed. In the pancreas from four T2D donors, cells containing both zymogen-like and insulin-like granules were observed, scattered in the exocrine compartment.

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Aims/hypothesis: Beta cell destruction in human type 1 diabetes occurs through the interplay of genetic and environmental factors, and is mediated by immune cell infiltration of pancreatic islets. In this study, we explored the role of mast cells as an additional agent in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes insulitis.

Methods: Pancreatic tissue from donors without diabetes and with type 1 and 2 diabetes was studied using different microscopy techniques to identify islet-infiltrating cells.

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Type 1 diabetes is associated with high morbidity and mortality, mostly due to the acute and chronic complications of the disease. Restoration of the lost beta cell mass by pancreas transplantation is the treatment of choice in selected type 1 diabetic patients. Growing data show that successful pancreas transplantation normalizes the metabolic alterations of diabetes, and can slow the progression, stabilize, and even favor the regression of secondary complications of the disease, including those at the cardiovascular level.

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Pancreas transplantation consistently induces insulin-independence in beta-cell-penic diabetic patients, but at the cost of major surgery and life-long immunosuppression. One year after grafting, patient survival rate now exceeds 95 % across recipient categories, while insulin independence is maintained in some 85 % of simultaneous pancreas and kidney recipients and in nearly 80 % of solitary pancreas transplant recipients. The half-life of the pancreas graft currently averages 16.

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Background: Although combined pancreas and kidney transplantation is an established procedure for the treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in patients with end-stage renal disease, the role of pancreas transplant alone (PTA) in the therapy of T1D subjects with preserved kidney function is still matter of debate.

Methods: We report our single-center experience of PTA in 71 consecutive T1D patients all with a posttransplant follow-up of 5 years. Patient and pancreas (normoglycemia in the absence of any antidiabetic therapy) survivals were determined, and several clinical parameters (including risk factors for cardiovascular diseases) were assessed.

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We report on our single-center experience with pancreas transplantation alone (PTA) in 71 patients with type 1 diabetes, and a 4-year follow-up. Portal insulin delivery was used in 73.2% of cases and enteric drainage of exocrine secretion in 100%.

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Background: Despite the success rate of solitary pancreas transplantation in type 1 diabetes with preserved kidney function has greatly improved in recent years, a residual proportion of failures persists.

Methods: With the aim of investigating autoimmunity as an unrecognized cause of graft failure, we measured autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA), insulinoma-associated protein 2 (IA-2A) and the recently discovered zinc transporter 8 antigen (ZnT8A) in 25 recipients of technically successful solitary pancreas transplantation.

Results: The overall pancreas graft survival was 92%, 88%, and 80% at 2, 4, and 6 years, respectively.

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