Occult Cushing's syndrome in type-2 diabetes.

Subclinical Cushing's syndrome (SCS) caused by adrenal incidentalomas is frequently associated with overweight and insulin resistance. Metabolic syndrome X may therefore be a clue to the presence of CS. However, the incidence of CS in this situation remains unknown.

Effect of metformin on fibrinolytic parameters in insulin-treated, type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective: In the present study, we measured fibrinolytic parameters, including PAI-1 antigen and activity in a group of type 2 diabetic patients in secondary oral anti-diabetic failure treated with insulin alone or with insulin plus metformin.

Research Design And Methods: 12 type 2 diabetic patients in secondary oral anti-diabetic failure were randomly allocated into two groups receiving insulin alone or insulin plus metformin 1000 mg twice a day; six weeks later, the treatments were swapped over. At the end of each treatment period, blood samples were withdrawn for metabolic and fibrinolytic analysis.

Anti-phospholipid antibodies in diabetes mellitus.

The presence of autoantibodies to phospholipids may be associated with various pathological disorders; diabetes could be one of them because of the changes occurring in lipid metabolism but there are only few reports examining this question, and they are not always leading to the same conclusions because of the differences in the procedures or in the phospholipids tested. We carried out a systematic comparative study of diabetic serum antibody binding to all phospholipids, anionic and zwitterionic, by a quantitative ELISA. The implication of the hydrophobic moiety of the lipids was also studied: the presence of autoantibodies to the fatty acyl chains was investigated.

Biochemical screening for subclinical cortisol-secreting adenomas amongst adrenal incidentalomas.

Objective: Biochemistry and I-6beta-iodomethyl norcholesterol scintigraphy (IMS) have both been used to assess cortisol secretion by adrenocortical incidentalomas. However, which biochemical abnormalities indicate subclinical corticoid excess is still debatable whilst IMS is expensive and cumbersome. The aim of the study was to evaluate prospectively patients with adrenal incidentalomas using both IMS and biochemical methods to examine whether the IMS pattern is associated with biochemical abnormalities and, if this is so, to find a biochemical parameter that could be used as a screening test to identify a subset of patients on whom IMS could subsequently be performed.

Diabetes as a result of atypical anti-psychotic drugs--a report of three cases.

Aims: Atypical anti-psychotic drugs (APDs) are widely used in psychotic disorders refractory to conventional neuroleptic agents.

Results: Three cases of new-onset diabetes are reported in Caucasian men who were on clozapine (one) or olanzapine (two) for 3-6 months. They had a distinct presentation: weight loss, ketosis (one ketoacidosis), severe hyperglycaemia requiring insulin therapy, and relative insulin deficiency as reflected by glucagon stimulatory tests.