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Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), the main manifestation of chronic lung allograft dysfunction, leads to poor long-term survival after lung transplantation. Identifying predictors of BOS is essential to prevent the progression of dysfunction before irreversible damage occurs. By using a large set of 107 samples from lung recipients, we performed microarray gene expression profiling of whole blood to identify early biomarkers of BOS, including samples from 49 patients with stable function for at least 3 years, 32 samples collected at least 6 months before BOS diagnosis (prediction group), and 26 samples at or after BOS diagnosis (diagnosis group). An independent set from 25 lung recipients was used for validation by quantitative PCR (13 stables, 11 in the prediction group, and 8 in the diagnosis group). We identified 50 transcripts differentially expressed between stable and BOS recipients. Three genes, namely POU class 2 associating factor 1 (POU2AF1), T-cell leukemia/lymphoma protein 1A (TCL1A), and B cell lymphocyte kinase, were validated as predictive biomarkers of BOS more than 6 months before diagnosis, with areas under the curve of 0.83, 0.77, and 0.78 respectively. These genes allow stratification based on BOS risk (log-rank test p

Diabetes is a common complication of Friedreich ataxia, requiring sensitive diagnostic methods. Here, we compared the performance of different tests that assess glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and β -cell function in Friedreich ataxia patients, heterozygous FXN mutation carriers and controls. We find that diabetes is underdiagnosed with fasting glucose alone. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) provides 1.2- to 3.5-fold more diagnoses of impaired glucose homeostasis and diabetes, and adequately measures insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and β -cell function. Clinicians in charge of Friedreich ataxia patients and researchers should incorporate the OGTT as an accurate diagnostic and research tool.

The therapeutic options for type 2 diabetes have grown considerably in recent years with the successive emergence on the market of glitazones, incretin mimetics, gliptins and very soon gliflozins. Meanwhile, physicians have been advised to take into account individual patient characteristics and preferences when setting glycemic targets and choosing the most appropriate molecule. Faced with an abundance of options, clinicians, even those specialized in diabetology, are left confused and are divided in their choices. To guide them in their practice, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) jointly published a position statement in 2012. The guidelines posit that the main criteria to be considered are glucose-lowering efficacy, risk of hypoglycemia, effect on body weight, side effects and costs. Not surprisingly, they propose metformin as first line treatment but do not formulate a precise indication regarding the molecule to be introduced in case of metformin contra-indication, intolerance or monotherapy failure. In addition, there is no mention of gliflozins, which were still under evaluation at the time but are now approved and already marketed in some countries. Here we review the mechanisms of action, efficacy and side effects of the two most recent drug classes, namely incretin-based therapies and gliflozins, and try to position them in the therapeutic algorithm of type 2 diabetes.

Objective: Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease caused in almost all cases by homozygosity for a GAA trinucleotide repeat expansion in the frataxin gene. Frataxin is a mitochondrial protein involved in iron homeostasis. FRDA patients have a high prevalence of diabetes, the pathogenesis of which is not known. We aimed to evaluate the relative contribution of insulin resistance and β-cell failure and the pathogenic mechanisms involved in FRDA diabetes., Methods: Forty-one FRDA patients, 26 heterozygous carriers of a GAA expansion, and 53 controls underwent oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests. β-Cell proportion was quantified in postmortem pancreas sections from 9 unrelated FRDA patients. Using an in vitro disease model, we studied how frataxin deficiency affects β-cell function and survival., Results: FRDA patients had increased abdominal fat and were insulin resistant. This was not compensated for by increased insulin secretion, resulting in a markedly reduced disposition index, indicative of pancreatic β-cell failure. Loss of glucose tolerance was driven by β-cell dysfunction, which correlated with abdominal fatness. In postmortem pancreas sections, pancreatic islets of FRDA patients had a lower β-cell content. RNA interference-mediated frataxin knockdown impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and induced apoptosis in rat β cells and human islets. Frataxin deficiency sensitized β cells to oleate-induced and endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis, which could be prevented by the incretins glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide., Interpretation: Pancreatic β-cell dysfunction is central to diabetes development in FRDA as a result of mitochondrial dysfunction and higher sensitivity to metabolic and endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced β-cell death., (Copyright © 2012 American Neurological Association.)

For nearly 50 years, the strategy of screening and the diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes have been the subject of endless controversies. They differ between countries and from one center to another, mainly because of the lack of hard data allowing to define glycemic thresholds at which a therapeutic management is needed. Recently, a large observational study has demonstrated the existence of a robust relationship between maternal blood sugar and several fetomaternal perinatal complications. This relationship is linear, with no clear threshold that would define gestational diabetes unambiguously. Meanwhile, two randomized intervention trials have shown that the therapeutic management of mild gestational diabetes was associated with improved perinatal outcomes. Based on these data, the "International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group" (IADPSG) released new recommendations on screening methods and diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes. Although already endorsed by several international associations and implemented in some countries, these recommendations still raise questions and criticisms. This is why the "Groupement des Gynécologues Obstétriciens de Langue Française de Belgique" (GGOLFB) organized a meeting between diabetologists and gynecologists which allowed to reach a consensus on the strategy that we intend to implement in our respective centers. The purpose of this paper is to briefly overview the recent advances in gestational diabetes and more particularly to make our key conclusions known to the medical community. This will enable the standardization of the management of gestational diabetes in the French-speaking part of Belgium.

Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is strongly associated to obesity and type 2 diabetes, but may occur in the absence of these factors. Based on a large series of liver biopsies, we have evaluated the clinical, biochemical, metabolic and pathological characteristics of a new entity, which we refer to as "lean-NAFLD"., Methods: Among 1,777 patients, who underwent liver biopsy for chronic liver disease, Lean-NAFLD, defined as patients with NAFLD without obesity (BMI < 30 kg/m2) and without diabetes was found in 50 of them (2.8%), being the most frequent cause (38%) of cryptogenic liver disease. Thirty-one patients from the Lean-NAFLD group were compared to 48 Obese-NAFLD patients diagnosed during the same period and 8 healthy control patients. Insulin resistance was determined using the homeostasis model assessment method., Results: In the Lean-NAFLD group as compared to the obese-NAFLD group, patients were younger : median 40 vs. 49 years, p = 0.047, with male predominance: 71 vs. 46%, p = 0.037. Fasting glucose and HbA1c were lower, as was insulin sensitivity: 1.7 vs. 3.0, p = 0.049. Blood pressure was significantly lower (p = 0.001) while triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol were similar. Although there was less inflammation (p = 0.038) and fibrosis (p = 0.029), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis were present in 61% and 55% of the Lean-NAFLD group, respectively. Compared to healthy controls, Lean-NAFLD were less insulin sensitive, with a insulin sensitivity index of 59 vs. 110 (p = 0.015), and more hypertriglyceridemic (p = 0.003)., Conclusions: Lean-NAFLD is a new unrecognized clinicopathological entity, a frequent cause of cryptogenic liver disease.

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of the study was to investigate the use of hyperglycaemic clamp tests to identify individuals who will develop diabetes among insulinoma-associated protein-2 antibody (IA-2A)-positive first-degree relatives (IA-2A(+) FDRs) of type 1 diabetic patients., Methods: Hyperglycaemic clamps were performed in 17 non-diabetic IA-2A(+) FDRs aged 14 to 33 years and in 21 matched healthy volunteers (HVs). Insulin and C-peptide responses were measured during the first (5-10 min) and second (120-150 min) release phase, and after glucagon injection (150-160 min). Clamp-induced C-peptide release was compared with C-peptide release during OGTT., Results: Seven (41%) FDRs developed diabetes 3-63 months after their initial clamp test. In all phases they had lower C-peptide responses than non-progressors (p < 0.05) and HVs (p < 0.002). All five FDRs with low first-phase release also had low second-phase release and developed diabetes 3-21 months later. Two of seven FDRs with normal first-phase but low second-phase release developed diabetes after 34 and 63 months, respectively. None of the five FDRs with normal C-peptide responses in all test phases has developed diabetes so far (follow-up 56 to 99 months). OGTT-induced C-peptide release also tended to be lower in progressors than in non-progressors or HVs, but there was less overlap in results between progressors and the other groups using the clamp., Conclusions/interpretation: Clamp-derived functional variables stratify risk of diabetes in IA-2A(+) FDRs and may more consistently identify progressors than OGTT-derived variables. A low first-phase C-peptide response specifically predicts impending diabetes while a low second-phase response may reflect an earlier disease stage., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00654121, Funding: The insulin trial was financially supported by Novo Nordisk Pharma nv.

The two incretin hormones GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) and GIP (Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Peptide) are released by the gut in response to nutrient ingestion. Both of them potentiate glucose-induced insulin response, enhance insulin biosynthesis and, at least in rodents, preserve beta-cell mass through reduction of apoptosis and stimulation of beta-cell proliferation. In addition to its insulinotropic action, GLP-1 (but not GIP) suppresses glucagon secretion, delays gastric emptying and promotes satiety. Since in type 2 diabetes, the secretion of GLP-1 is dramatically reduced whereas its effects are retained, a number of pharmacological strategies aiming at restoring the incretin activity of this peptide have been explored. Because GLP-1 is rapidly degraded by the ubiquitous enzyme, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) and has a very short-lived action, DPP-IV resistant mimetics have been designed. Several randomized placebo-controlled studies with DPP-IV resistant GLP-1 analogues confirmed their efficacy to improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients. The first one, exenatide, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Longer-acting mimetics requiring only one injection per day or even per week are currently assessed in phase 3 trials. Another successful approach has been the development of orally active DPP-IV inhibitors which reversibly and selectively block the enzymatic activity. Many small-molecule DPP-IV inhibitors, called gliptins, have been shown to be effective as antihyperglycemic agents and, up to now, devoid of major adverse events. The first drug of this new therapeutic class having received FDA approval, sitagliptin, is now available for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in U.S. However, the efficacy/safety profile of these compounds and their positioning in the therapeutic algorithm of type 2 diabetes remains to be defined.

Objective: The hyperglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp technique using intraduodenally infused glucose is an attractive tool for studying postprandial glucose metabolism under strictly controlled conditions. Because it requires the use of somatostatin (SST), we examined, in this study, the effect of SST on intestinal glucose absorption., Context: Twenty-six normal volunteers were given a constant 3-h intraduodenal infusion of glucose (6 mg.kg(-1).min(-1)) labeled with [2-(3)H]glucose for glucose absorption measurement. During glucose infusion, 19 subjects received iv SST at doses of 10-100 ng.kg(-1).min(-1) plus insulin and glucagon, and seven subjects were studied under control conditions. In the controls, glucose was absorbed at a rate that, after a 20-min lag period, equaled the infusion rate., Results: With all the doses of SST tested, absorption was considerably delayed but equaled the rate of infusion after 3 h. At that time, only 5 +/- 2% of the total amount of infused glucose was unabsorbed in the control subjects vs. 36 +/- 2% (P < 0.001) in the SST-infused subjects. In the latter, the intraluminal residue was almost totally absorbed within 40 min of the cessation of SST infusion. At the lowest dose of SST tested (10 ng.kg(-1).min(-1)), suppression of insulin secretion was incomplete., Conclusion: These properties of SST hamper the use of intraduodenal hyperglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps as a tool for exploring postprandial glucose metabolism.

Etiopathogenesis of type 2 diabetes is complex and still partially unknown. Its etiology is determined by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The genetic contribution is important, but has a polygenic origin. Obesity, especially when fat mass is preferably located in the abdomen, is the main predisposing factor for type 2 diabetes, and almost 80% of diabetic patients are overweight or obese. The diabetogenic effect of obesity is due to the capacity of excessive fat mass to induce or aggravate insulin resistance. Increasing lack of physical activity is also a contributing factor as it increases insulin resistance. As far as pathophysiology is concerned, the development of type 2 diabetes results from the coexistence of abnormalities of insulin secretion and insulin action. Insulin secretory dysfunction, whose underlying mechanism remains poorly understood, is characterized by a relative defect in circulating insulin levels of variable severity. Resistance to insulin action is located in the liver (increased hepatic glucose production), in the skeletal muscle (decreased muscular glucose uptake) and in the adipose tissue (exaggerated lipolysis with elevated plasma free fatty acids). Changes in life-style habits (weight reduction, regular physical activity) are able to prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes.

To determine whether the uptake and metabolic partition of glucose are influenced by its delivery route, 12 normal volunteers underwent two 3-h euglycemic (approximately 93 mg/dl) hyperinsulinemic (approximately 43 mU/l) clamps at a 3- to 5-wk interval, one with intravenous (i.v.) and the other with intraduodenal (i.d.) glucose labeled with [3-3H]- and [U-14C]glucose. Systemic glucose was traced with [6,6-2H2]glucose in eight subjects. During the last hour of the clamps, the average glucose infusion rate (5.85 +/- 0.37 vs. 5.43 +/- 0.43 mg.kg(-1).min(-1); P = 0.02) and exogenous glucose uptake (5.66 +/- 0.37 vs. 5.26 +/- 0.41 mg.kg(-1).min(-1); P = 0.04) were borderline higher in the i.d. than in the i.v. studies. The increased uptake was entirely accounted for by increased glycolysis (3H2O production), which was attributed to the stimulation of gut metabolism by the absorptive process. No difference was observed in glucose storage whether it was calculated as glucose uptake minus glycolysis (i.d. vs. i.v.: 2.44 +/- 0.28 vs. 2.40 +/- 0.31 mg.kg(-1).min(-1)) or as glucose uptake minus net glucose oxidation (2.86 +/- 0.33 vs. 2.81 +/- 0.35 mg.kg(-1).min(-1)). Because peripheral tissues were exposed to identical glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid levels under the two experimental conditions, we assumed that their glucose uptake and storage were similar during the two tests. We therefore suggest that hepatic glycogen storage (estimated as whole body minus peripheral storage) was also unaffected by the route of glucose delivery. On the other hand, in the i.d. tests, the glucose splanchnic extraction ratio calculated by the dual-isotope technique averaged 4.9 +/- 2.3%, which is close to the figures published for i.v. glucose. Despite the limitations related to whole body measurements, these two sets of data do not support the idea that enteral glucose stimulates hepatic uptake more efficiently than i.v. glucose.

We analyzed the insulin receptor gene in four patients with leprechaunism and one with type A insulin resistance. We detected novel and previously reported mutations. The novel mutants were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells to evaluate the consequences for insulin receptor function. A type A insulin resistance patient from Morocco was homozygous for Arg252His mutation, similar to a previously described type A patient from Japan. A patient with leprechaunism was homozygous for the Ser323Leu mutation, previously identified in homozygous form in two patients with Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome. Phenotypic expression of this mutation is variable. A patient with leprechaunism is compound heterozygous for the previously described Arg1092Trp mutation and a nonsense mutation in codon 897. Another patient with leprechaunism was homozygous for a novel Asn431Asp mutation, which only partially reduces insulin proreceptor processing and activation of signaling cascades. The novel Leu93Gln mutation that fully disrupts proreceptor processing was found in one allele in a patient with leprechaunism. A nonsense mutation at codon 1122 was in the other allele. These results expand the number of pathogenic insulin receptor mutations and demonstrate the variability in their phenotypic expression. The biochemical analysis of mutant insulin receptors does not reliably predict whether the phenotype will be leprechaunism, the Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome, or type A insulin resistance. The previously reported correlation between fibroblast insulin binding and duration of patient survival was not observed.

The respective effects of the level of glycogen stores and the size of the glucose load on the pathways of carbohydrate (CHO) metabolism were compared over the 5-hour period following glucose ingestion in normal human subjects. For this purpose, labeling of the oral glucose load with [3-(3)H]- and [U(14)C] glucose was combined with indirect calorimetry. In group I, 75 g glucose was given to subjects who had either been "fed" with intravenous (IV) glucose or fasted for 13, 24, or 36 hours, or 4 days. In fed versus 4-day-fasted subjects, net CHO storage averaged approximately 15 versus 63 g/5 h (P <.001). About 83% of the increase in fasted subjects was due to suppression of glycogen breakdown, with only minimal stimulation of glycogen synthesis from oral glucose. Over the whole range of nutritional conditions tested, a strong positive correlation existed between basal CHO oxidation and glycogen breakdown occurring during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), suggesting that the initial degree of repletion of hepatic glycogen stores is a major determinant of postprandial glycogen turnover. In group II, OGTTs with 33 and 100 g glucose were compared in 13-hour-fasted subjects. Net storage rose from approximately -6 to approximately 37 g/5 h (P <.001) solely because of an increase in glycogen synthesis with no inhibition of glycogen turnover. Overall, these results show that the initial dietary state and the size of the glucose load modulate postprandial net CHO accumulation by different mechanisms., (Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.)

We investigated inaugural disease phenotype in relation to the presence or absence of diabetes-associated autoantibodies and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ risk genotypes in adult-onset diabetic patients. Blood samples and questionnaires were obtained from 1584 recent-onset Belgian Caucasian patients (age 15-39 yr at diagnosis of primary diabetes) who were recruited by the Belgian Diabetes Registry over an 11-yr period. At clinical diagnosis, antibody-positive patients (n = 1198) were on average younger and had more symptoms, a more acute disease onset, lower body mass index, and random C-peptide levels, but higher insulin needs, glycemia, and prevalence of ketonuria, HLA-DQ, and 5' insulin gene susceptibility genotypes (P < 0.001 vs. antibody-negative patients; n = 386). In antibody-positive patients, these characteristics did not differ according to HLA-DQ genotype. However, in antibody-negative subjects, we found that patients were younger (P = 0.001); had a lower body mass index (P < 0.001), higher insulin needs (P = 0.014), and amylasemia (P = 0.001); and tended to have a higher glycemia and lower C-peptide in the presence of susceptible HLA-DQ genotypes. Differences according to HLA-DQ genotype subsisted after careful age-matching. In conclusion, we found no relation between initial disease phenotype and HLA-DQ genotype in antibody-positive diabetic young adults. In contrast, antibody-negative patients displayed more type 1-like features when carrying susceptible HLA-DQ genotypes known to promote the development of antibody-positive diabetes. The overrepresentation of these susceptibility genotypes in antibody-negative patients suggests the existence of an immune-mediated disease process with as yet unidentified immune markers in a subgroup of seronegative patients.

The clinical activities of the department of endocrinology encompass the care and treatment of diabetes, thyroid diseases, hypothalamo-pituitary, adrenal, gonadic and parathyroid diseases, obesity, hypercholesterolemia and paraneoplastic endocrine syndromes. These domains are briefly described. The research activities of the department have investigated the regulation of thyroid metabolism in vitro, the intrathyroid H2O2 generating system, the physiopathology of toxic thyroid nodules and the effects of ageing on the thyreotropic function of the normal ageing male. Studies of "jet lag" conditions have shed a new light on hormonal chronophysiology. Other investigations have considered the regulation of ketone body metabolism, the relationship between nutritional status and glucose metabolism, and some aspects of immunodiabetology.

To determine whether the route of glucose administration affects whole body glucose metabolism, 14 healthy volunteers were randomly infused with intraduodenal (id) or intravenous (iv) glucose at 6 mg x kg(-1) x min(-1) for 180 min. Infused glucose was labeled with [2-(3)H]glucose in a first series of paired experiments designed to characterize kinetic parameters to be used in a second series of experiments in which [3-(3)H]- and [U-(14)C]glucose labeling was used to characterize the metabolic fate of infused glucose. Experiments with [2-(3)H]glucose showed that, after a lag period of only 20 min, id absorption averaged 105 +/- 3% of infusion. During the final hour of id and iv infusion of [3-(3)H]glucose, tissue uptake averaged 98 +/- 3 and 107 +/- 4% of infusion, respectively, and was equally divided between glycolysis ((3)H(2)O production) and storage (uptake-glycolysis). Glucose oxidation ((14)CO(2)), total carbohydrate oxidation (indirect calorimetry), and net carbohydrate balance were also similar, but the thermic effect of glucose was significantly greater after id infusion. Because insulin and estimated portal vein glucose levels were similar during the final 80 min of both infusions, our results suggest that hepatic glucose storage (and therefore muscle storage estimated as whole body minus liver storage) is not affected by the route of glucose administration.

Although diet has always been recognized as the cornerstone in the management of diabetes, dietary recommendations are evolving continuously. There is now some consensus that the goals of medical nutrition therapy should be to attain and/or maintain a reasonable body weight, to ensure the best possible glycemic control and to reduce cardiovascular risk factors but the means to achieve these goals are still under discussion. Apart from caloric restriction which is, without any doubt, highly efficient but hardly applied in obese diabetic patients, the clinical benefits of the traditional measures to alleviate postprandial hyperglycemia (increasing meal frequency, consumption of carbohydrates with a low glycemic index and/or rich in fibers) are not unanimously acknowledged. The hotly debated issue regarding the ideal proportions of carbohydrates and fat advisable for diabetic individuals has lapsed progressively into disuse, all the arguments having run out. At the present time, there remain many unanswered important questions related to nutrition and diabetes because of the lack of long-term randomized studies evaluating the impact of a diet modification on morbidity and mortality. Considering the difficulties of changing our usual feeding patterns on a long term basis, these uncertainties will not readily be solved.

The aim of this short review is to summarize our knowledge on the pharmacological treatment of obesity. We consider first the old molecules, mostly amphetamine derivatives, which tend to be abandoned and second, the more recent ones which just appeared or are just about to become available. We also envision some therapeutical perspectives derived from recent advances in molecular biology. Although, it is "scientifically correct" to deliver an optimistic message regarding the possibility of finding an effective and safe treatment of obesity in the near future, we think that this is, on the contrary, an unrealistic goal.

It is known that prior fasting enhances whole-body glycogen retention after glucose ingestion. To identify the involved mechanisms, 33 normal volunteers underwent a total fast, varying between 14 h and 4 days, and ingested thereafter 75 g glucose labeled with [14C]glucose. Measurements of oral glucose oxidation (expired 14CO2, corrected for incomplete recovery) and total carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation (indirect calorimetry) were performed over the following 5 h. These data allowed us to calculate oral glucose storage (uptake oxidation), glycogen oxidation (CHO oxidation - oral glucose oxidation), and net CHO balance (oral glucose uptake - CHO oxidation). As compared with an overnight fast, prolonged fasting (4 days) inhibited the uptake (64.8 vs. 70.3 g/5 h; P < 0.01) and the oxidation (10.9 vs. 20.0 g/5 h; P < 0.001) of oral glucose and stimulated slightly its conversion to glycogen (53.9 vs. 50.3 g/5 h; P < 0.05). The latter effect played only a minor role in the marked increase in net CHO balance (52.3 vs. 25.2 g/5 h; P < 0.001), which was almost entirely related to a decrease in glycogen oxidation (1.6 vs. 25.1 g/5 h; P < 0.001). Considering the whole series of data, including intermediate durations of fast, it was observed that the modifications in postprandial CHO metabolism, induced by fasting, correlated strongly with basal CHO oxidation, suggesting that the degree of initial glycogen depletion is a major determinant of glycogen oxidation and net CHO storage. Thus, prior fasting stimulates postprandial glycogen retention, mainly through an inhibition of the glycogen turnover that exists in overnight-fasted subjects, during the absorptive period.

In view of the reported association of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) with viral infections, (non-) islet-specific immune changes, and partial immunodeficiencies, we used immunonephelometry to measure circulating levels of IgM, IgG, and IgA in a registry-based group of IDDM patients under age 40 years at clinical onset (n = 397) and in age-matched nondiabetic siblings (n = 316) and control subjects (n = 322). Overall, IgM and IgA concentrations were higher, and IgG concentrations lower, in patients than in control subjects or siblings (P < 0.001). In siblings, IgM concentrations were higher than in control subjects (P < 0.001). Using age-adjusted reference intervals, abnormal Ig concentrations were noted in 27% of the patients at onset versus only 10% of the siblings and 7% of the control subjects (P < 0.001). For onset between 20 and 40 years (n = 220), 30% of the patients presented either increased IgM levels (21%) or decreased IgG levels (11%). Both independent phenomena occurred regardless of diabetes-associated immune and genetic markers. In patients and siblings, IgM levels were positively correlated with pancreatic lipase activity. In diabetic children (0-9 years; n = 65), a subgroup presented increased IgA levels (15%) in association with the highest HLA DQ-linked genetic risk and elevated IgM levels. The changes in total Ig concentrations at onset were largely reversed under insulin therapy. They may reflect exposure to environmental triggers, such as viral infections, or to (relative) insulinopenia prior to clinical disease onset. Whatever their cause, different serum Ig levels exist in different age groups of recent-onset IDDM patients.

This review article examines the mode of action, the efficacy and the side effects of the various types of hypolipidemic agents (fibrates, bile acid sequestrants, statins, nicotinic acid and acipimox) currently available in Belgium. It also summarizes the recent guidelines recommended by the Belgian Lipid Club in the management of hyperlipidemia for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases as well as the therapeutic strategy.

To analyze the effects of metformin (M) on the kinetics and pathways of glucose utilization after glucose ingestion, nine non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients underwent two 5-hour oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) preceded in random order by a 3-week treatment with either M (850 mg twice per day) or placebo. Each test included intravenous infusion of 3-3H-glucose and labeling of the oral dose (75 g) with 1-14C-glucose, with measurements of glucose kinetics, glycolytic flux (3H2O production), and glucose oxidation (indirect calorimetry and expired 14CO2). Basal glycemia was decreased by M (6.6 v 8.2 mmol/L, P < .01) with no changes in insulin levels, with the hypoglycemic effect correlating strongly (P < .001) with a decrease in glucose production. Mean 0- to 5-hour postprandial glycemia was also decreased by the drug (9.9 v 12.2 mmol/L, P < .04), lactate concentration was increased (1.79 v 1.44 mmol/L, P < .01), and absolute insulin levels were increased, but not to a significant extent. The rates of appearance (Ra) of exogenous and endogenous glucose were not modified, and the hypoglycemic effect of M in the postprandial state was entirely related to an increase in systemic glucose disposal (85.1 v 77.5 g/5 h, P < .001). Carbohydrate oxidation was unchanged, and glycolytic flux and nonoxidative glycolysis were increased by approximately 13 g/5 h (P < .01), with the excess lactate produced probably being converted to glycogen in the liver. Whole-body glycogen synthesis through the direct pathway tended to be reduced (-8 g/5 h, P > .05). Thus, M decreases postprandial glycemia by increasing glucose disposal and stimulates lactate production. The data also suggest that the drug increases the proportions of glycogen deposited through the indirect rather than the direct pathway.

To determine the role of fat-derived substrates in the regulation of glucose metabolism during fasting, glucose turnover, urea nitrogen production, alanine conversion to glucose, and substrate oxidation rates were measured in 34 normal 4-day-fasted volunteers treated with the antilipolytic drug acipimox or placebo for 8 h. The approximately 50% inhibition of lipolysis induced by acipimox increased glucose concentration and production, respectively, by approximately 35 and approximately 30%, whereas the protein breakdown and the amount of alanine converted to glucose were increased, respectively, by approximately 70 and approximately 85%. Insulin levels were reduced by approximately 40%, cortisol levels doubled, and growth hormone concentration increased sevenfold. The relative contribution of free fatty acid (FFA) and ketone body lowering to the observed response was evaluated in nine acipimox-treated subjects in whom ketone body concentration was clamped with an intravenous beta-hydroxybutyrate infusion. The results of these experiments suggest that, during fasting, both FFA and ketone bodies tend to suppress gluconceogenesis and to protect the protein stores. FFA seem to exert their effects mainly through their ability to modulate the hormonal milieu (especially insulin), whereas ketone bodies seem to act mainly by other mechanisms. Thus the widespread view according to which FFA exert a stimulatory role on gluconeogenesis does not apply to the fasting state in vivo.

The time course of the effects of an acute elevation in morning plasma cortisol on the daytime profiles of plasma glucose, serum insulin, and insulin secretion under constant glucose infusion was determined using a placebo-controlled design in two groups of eight normal men. In one group, the elevation of plasma cortisol was obtained by oral administration of 100 mg hydrocortisone. In the other group, the elevation was obtained by intravenous administration of 25 micrograms of corticotropin-releasing hormone. In both studies, the immediate effect of the increase in plasma cortisol, even when of very small amplitude, was an abrupt inhibition of insulin secretion without change in glucose concentration. Larger cortisol elevations, such as occurred after hydrocortisone administration, were additionally associated with the appearance of insulin resistance, which developed 4-6 h after the cortisol elevation and persisted for > 16 h. These observations support the concept that the 24-h cortisol rhythmicity is responsible, at least in part, for the normal diurnal variation in glucose tolerance.

To evaluate the effects of short-term starvation on gastric emptying in normal and obese subjects, the relationship between gastric emptying and oral glucose tolerance, and the mechanisms responsible for the delay in the systemic appearance of oral glucose observed after short-term fasting, we determined the effects of a 4-day fast on 1) gastric emptying and oral glucose tolerance in normal subjects and 2) gastric emptying in obese patients. Gastric emptying of 75 g glucose (320 ml) labeled with 99mTc colloid was measured in 12 healthy volunteers and 11 obese subjects after 12-h and 4-day fasts. In seven other obese subjects, the effect of a 4-day fast on gastric emptying of 320 ml normal saline was quantified. Gastric emptying of glucose was slower after the 4-day than after the overnight fast in both normal (P = 0.02) and obese (P < 0.001) subjects, with no difference between the two groups. In normal subjects, the rate of gastric emptying was related directly to the rise in plasma glucose at 30 min (r = 0.60; P < 0.05) but inversely to the plasma glucose at 180 min (r = -0.64; P < 0.02). In the obese subjects, gastric emptying of saline was not affected by fasting. These observations indicate that 1) gastric emptying of glucose is retarded by a 4-day fast, 2) the changes in gastric emptying reported in obesity may reflect different patterns of prior nutrient intake, and 3) delay in gastric emptying accounts for the slower systemic appearance of glucose after fasting.

To analyze the effects of short-term fasting on postprandial glucose metabolism in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), two groups of nine obese NIDDM patients and two comparable groups of control subjects underwent a 5-h oral glucose tolerance test after either 14 h or 4 days of fasting. The fluxes and the rates of oxidation and storage of glucose were measured using a dual isotope technique combined with indirect calorimetry. The effect of fasting on insulin action and beta-cell responsiveness was tested in an additional group of six obese NIDDM patients with a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp followed by an intravenous glucagon test. In the diabetic patients, fasting enhanced beta-cell response to glucose and glucagon and did not modify insulin action. This response differs from that of nondiabetic subjects in whom fasting is known to impair insulin secretion and action. Regarding glucose fluxes, it was observed that in the overnight-fasted state, the incremental tissular disposal following glucose ingestion was reduced by approximately 50% in the diabetic versus control subjects in relation to an approximately 62% impairment in glucose storage. After fasting, incremental tissular disposal was restored to normal, glucose oxidation was virtually abolished, and storage was increased approximately threefold. Thus, in NIDDM patients, fasting corrects the defect in glycogen storage without modifying the action of insulin on glucose uptake and improves beta-cell responsiveness, the latter two effects being opposite to those observed in nondiabetic subjects.

The relative impact of hepatic glucose production (HGP) and peripheral glucose uptake (GU) on plasma glucose concentration was assessed in 54 noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and 50 control subjects submitted to a variable period of fasting (14-108 h) with special focus on the normal and low hyperglycemic range. Within each population we found a highly significant (P < 0.001) positive correlation between plasma glucose concentration and HGP in the whole range of glycemia, but the slope of the regression line was steeper (P < 0.001) in the diabetic than in the control group. The two curves intersected at a glucose level of 4.0 mmol/L. Therefore, for a given HGP rate above the intersection point, diabetic patients had a higher plasma glucose concentration than nondiabetic individuals, owing to an approximately 15% reduction (P < 0.025) in the metabolic clearance rate, despite the fact that the plasma insulin level was 2-fold higher (P < 0.05) in the diabetic patients. When diabetic and nondiabetic subjects were compared at a similar low glucose level of 4.0 mmol/L brought about by short-term fasting, all parameters of glucose kinetics were identical in both groups. We thus conclude that 1) HGP is the major determinant of plasma glucose concentration in control as well as in diabetic subjects whatever the nutritional state; 2) the slight hyperglycemia prevailing in mild NIDDM results from the combination of an impaired insulin-induced inhibition of HGP and stimulation of GU because both parameters are inappropriately normal in the face of elevated plasma glucose and insulin levels; and 3) the normalization of GU and HGP after short-term fasting suggests that pathways of noninsulin-mediated GU operate in a normal way in NIDDM.