Glucose control and variability assessed by continuous glucose monitoring in patients with type 1 diabetes and diabetic kidney disease.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has emerged as a superior method to glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) monitoring for glycemic control assessment in type 1 diabetes (T1D). The association between CGM parameters and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has not been extensively researched. The aim of the present study was to compare CGM metrics between patients with stable and progressive DKD and T1D.

DNA Methylation Profiles of , , , and Genes in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy.

We explored differences in the DNA methylation statuses of , , , and gene promoter regions in patients with type 1 diabetes and different diabetic retinopathy (DR) stages. Study subjects included individuals with no DR (NDR, = 41), those with non-proliferative DR (NPDR, = 27), and individuals with proliferative DR or those who underwent laser photocoagulation (PDR/LPC, = 46). DNA methylation was determined by Zymo OneStep qMethyl technique.

A pilot cost-analysis study comparing AI-based EyeArt® and ophthalmologist assessment of diabetic retinopathy in minority women in Oslo, Norway.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of adult blindness in the working age population worldwide, which can be prevented by early detection. Regular eye examinations are recommended and crucial for detecting sight-threatening DR. Use of artificial intelligence (AI) to lessen the burden on the healthcare system is needed.

Association of Endotoxemia with Low-Grade Inflammation, Metabolic Syndrome and Distinct Response to Lipopolysaccharide in Type 1 Diabetes.

The association of endotoxemia with metabolic syndrome (MS) and low-grade inflammation in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is little-studied. We investigated the levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), endogenous anti-endotoxin core antibodies (EndoCAb IgG and IgM) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in 74 T1D patients with different MS statuses and 33 control subjects. Within the T1D group, 31 patients had MS.

Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Patients with Type I Diabetes.

(1) Background: Little research is conducted on the link between diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression and diabetic gastroenteropathy in type 1 diabetes (T1D). (2) Methods. We performed a cross-sectional study with 100 T1D patients; 27 of them had progressive DKD, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline ≥3 mL/min/year or increased albuminuria stage, over a mean follow-up time of 5.

Prediction of type 1 diabetes with machine learning algorithms based on FTIR spectral data in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

The incidence of autoimmunity is increasing, to ensure timely and comprehensive treatment, there must be a diagnostic method or markers that would be available to the general public. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a relatively inexpensive and accurate method for determining metabolic fingerprint. The metabolism, molecular composition and function of blood cells vary according to individual physiological and pathological conditions.

Automatic Detection of Microaneurysms in Fundus Images Using an Ensemble-Based Segmentation Method.

In this study, a novel method for automatic microaneurysm detection in color fundus images is presented. The proposed method is based on three main steps: (1) image breakdown to smaller image patches, (2) inference to segmentation models, and (3) reconstruction of the predicted segmentation map from output patches. The proposed segmentation method is based on an ensemble of three individual deep networks, such as U-Net, ResNet34-UNet and UNet++.

Transcriptome of GH-producing pituitary neuroendocrine tumours and models are significantly affected by somatostatin analogues.

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs) are neoplasms of the pituitary that overproduce hormones or cause unspecific symptoms due to mass effect. Growth hormone overproducing GH-producing PitNETs cause acromegaly leading to connective tissue, metabolic or oncologic disorders. The medical treatment of acromegaly is somatostatin analogues (SSA) in specific cases combined with dopamine agonists (DA), but almost half of patients display partial or full SSA resistance and potential causes of this are unknown.

Genome wide analysis of circulating miRNAs in growth hormone secreting pituitary neuroendocrine tumor patients' plasma.

Background: Circulating plasma miRNAs have been increasingly studied in the field of pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (PitNET) research. Our aim was to discover circulating plasma miRNAs species associated with growth hormone (GH) secreting PitNETs versus assess how the plasma levels of discovered miRNA candidates are impacted by SSA therapy and whether there is a difference in their levels between GH secreting PitNETs versus other PitNET types and healthy individuals.

Design: We compared plasma miRNA content and levels before and after surgery focusing on GH secreting PitNET patients.

Whole exome sequencing reveals novel risk genes of pituitary neuroendocrine tumors.

Somatic genetic alterations in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET) tissues have been identified in several studies, but detection of overlapping somatic PitNET candidate genes is rare. We sequenced and by employing multiple data analysis methods studied the exomes of 15 PitNET patients to improve discovery of novel factors involved in PitNET development. PitNET patients were recruited to the study before PitNET removal surgery.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the quality of life of Type 1 diabetes patients using insulin pumps and of those receiving multiple daily insulin injections.

Introduction: Insulin pump therapy represents an alternative to multiple daily injections and can improve glycemic control and quality of life (QoL) in Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. We aimed to explore the differences and factors related to the T1DM-specific QoL of such patients in Latvia.

Design And Methods: A mixed-method cross-sectional study on 87 adult T1DM patients included 20 pump users and 67 users of injections who participated in the quantitative part of the study; 8 pump users and 13 injection users participated in the qualitative part.

Ubiquitin-proteasome system in diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common complication of diabetes, being the most prevalent reason for blindness among the working-age population in the developed world. Despite constant improvement of understanding of the pathogenesis of DR, identification of novel biomarkers of DR is needed for improvement of patient risk stratification and development of novel prevention and therapeutic approaches. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the primary protein quality control system responsible for recognizing and degrading of damaged proteins.

Telomere Lengths and Serum Proteasome Concentrations in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes and Different Severities of Diabetic Retinopathy in Latvia and Lithuania.

The aim of the study was to compare telomere lengths and circulating proteasome concentrations in patients with different stages of diabetic retinopathy and type 1 diabetes in Latvia and Lithuania. Methods. Patients with no diabetic retinopathy and with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy were included in the NDR/NPDR group (n = 187).

Case Report: Micro-RNAs in Plasma From Bilateral Inferior Petrosal Sinus Sampling and Peripheral Blood From Corticotroph Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Objective: Circulating miRNAs are found in bodily fluids including plasma and can serve as biomarkers for diseases. The aim of this study was to provide the first insight into the landscape of circulating miRNAs in close proximity to the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secreting PitNET. To achieve this objective next-generation sequencing of miRNAs in plasma from bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) - a gold standard in diagnosing ACTH-secreting PitNETs was carried out and selected miRNA candidates were further tested by RT-qPCR in independent patient cohorts.

Colorimetric and Electrochemical Screening for Early Detection of Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Retinopathy-Application of Sensor Arrays and Machine Learning.

In this review, a selection of works on the sensing of biomarkers related to diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are presented, with the scope of helping and encouraging researchers to design sensor-array machine-learning (ML)-supported devices for robust, fast, and cost-effective early detection of these devastating diseases. First, we highlight the social relevance of developing systematic screening programs for such diseases and how sensor-arrays and ML approaches could ease their early diagnosis. Then, we present diverse works related to the colorimetric and electrochemical sensing of biomarkers related to DM and DR with non-invasive sampling (e.

Achievement of treatment targets predicts progression of vascular complications in type 1 diabetes.

Background And Aim: To study the association between achievement of guideline-defined treatment targets on HbA1c, low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C), and blood pressure with the progression of diabetic complications in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods: The study included 355 patients at baseline and 114 patients with follow-up data after 3-5 years. Outcome variables were the progression of diabetic kidney disease, retinopathy, or cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Recent Developments in Diabetic Retinal Neurodegeneration: A Literature Review.

Neurodegeneration plays a significant role in the complex pathology of diabetic retinopathy. Evidence suggests the onset of neurodegeneration occurs early on in the disease, and so a greater understanding of the process is essential for prompt detection and targeted therapies. Neurodegeneration is a common pathway of assorted processes, including activation of inflammatory pathways, reduction of neuroprotective factors, DNA damage, and apoptosis.

DNA damage in leukocytes and serum nitrite concentration are negatively associated in type 1 diabetes.

Chronic hyperglycaemia leads to DNA damage in diabetes and might be associated with nitrosative stress. In this study, we aimed at assessing the level of DNA strand breaks in leukocytes, serum nitrite and nitrate in patients with type 1 diabetes and healthy controls and associations of these parameters with diabetes-related outcomes in a prospective study. The level of DNA damage was determined in 71 patients with type 1 diabetes and 57 healthy controls by comet assay and scored with arbitrary units (AU).

Medication for Acromegaly Reduces Expression of MUC16, MACC1 and GRHL2 in Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumour Tissue.

Acromegaly is a disease mainly caused by pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (PitNET) overproducing growth hormone. First-line medication for this condition is the use of somatostatin analogs (SSAs), that decrease tumor mass and induce antiproliferative effects on PitNET cells. Dopamine agonists (DAs) can also be used if SSA treatment is not effective.

Novel susceptibility loci identified in a genome-wide association study of type 2 diabetes complications in population of Latvia.

Background: Type 2 diabetes complications cause a serious emotional and economical burden to patients and healthcare systems globally. Management of both acute and chronic complications of diabetes, which dramatically impair the quality of patients' life, is still an unsolved issue in diabetes care, suggesting a need for early identification of individuals with high risk for developing diabetes complications.

Methods: We performed a genome-wide association study in 601 type 2 diabetes patients after stratifying them according to the presence or absence of four types of diabetes complications: diabetic neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy, macrovascular complications, and ophthalmic complications.

Spectroscopic and electrochemical study of interactions between DNA and different salts of 1,4-dihydropyridine AV-153.

1,4-dihydropyridines (1,4-DHP) possess important biochemical and pharmacological properties, including antimutagenic and DNA-binding activity. The latter activity was first described for water-soluble 1,4-DHP with carboxylic group in position 4, the sodium salt of the 1,4-DHP derivative AV-153 among others. Some data show the modification of physicochemical properties and biological activities of organic compounds by metal ions that form the salts.

Baseline gut microbiome composition predicts metformin therapy short-term efficacy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients.

Background: The study was conducted to investigate the effects of metformin treatment on the human gut microbiome's taxonomic and functional profile in the Latvian population, and to evaluate the correlation of these changes with therapeutic efficacy and tolerance.

Methods: In this longitudinal observational study, stool samples for shotgun metagenomic sequencing-based analysis were collected in two cohorts. The first cohort included 35 healthy nondiabetic individuals (metformin dose 2x850mg/day) at three time-points during metformin administration.

Association between symptoms of depression, diabetes complications and vascular risk factors in four European cohorts of individuals with type 1 diabetes - InterDiane Consortium.

Aims: To investigate the association between depressive symptomatology and health markers in type 1 diabetes.

Methods: Four countries from the InterDiane Consortium had adopted the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study protocol, including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Associations between depression symptomatology, diabetes complications (diabetic nephropathy, proliferative retinopathy, major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE]) and vascular risk factors (metabolic syndrome, body mass index, glycaemic control) were investigated.

Whole-blood transcriptome profiling reveals signatures of metformin and its therapeutic response.

Metformin, a biguanide agent, is the first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus due to its glucose-lowering effect. Despite its wide application in the treatment of multiple health conditions, the glycemic response to metformin is highly variable, emphasizing the need for reliable biomarkers. We chose the RNA-Seq-based comparative transcriptomics approach to evaluate the systemic effect of metformin and highlight potential predictive biomarkers of metformin response in drug-naïve volunteers with type 2 diabetes in vivo.

Thiopurine -methyltransferase genetic polymorphisms in adult patients with inflammatory bowel diseases in the Latvian population.

Background: Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) plays a significant role in the metabolism of thiopurines, and, for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), it is useful to perform TPMT genotyping prior to azathioprine (AZA) treatment. In this study, we determined gene polymorphisms in a cohort of IBD patients in Latvia.

Methods: DNA samples were obtained from 244 IBD patients, and qPCR was performed for detection of rs1800462, rs1800460, and rs1142345 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).