OBJECTIVEPreclinical data suggest that linagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, may lower urinary albumin excretion. The ability of linagliptin to lower albuminuria on top of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibition in humans was analyzed by pooling data from four similarly designed, 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trials.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSA pooled analysis of four completed studies identified 217 subjects with type 2 diabetes and prevalent albuminuria (defined as a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio [UACR] of 30−3,000 mg/g creatinine) while receiving stable doses of RAAS inhibitors. Participants were randomized to either linagliptin 5 mg/day (n = 162) or placebo (n= 55). The primary end point was the percentage change in geometric mean UACR from baseline to week 24.RESULTSUACR at week 24 was reduced by 32% (95% CI −42 to −21; P < 0.05) with linagliptin compared with 6% (95% CI −27 to +23) with placebo, with a between-group difference of 28% (95% CI −47 to −2; P = 0.0357). The between-group difference in the change in HbA1c from baseline to week 24 was −0.61% (−6.7 mmol/mol) in favor of linagliptin (95% CI −0.88 to −0.34% [−9.6 to −3.7 mmol/mol]; P < 0.0001). The albuminuria-lowering effect of linagliptin, however, was not influenced by race or HbA1c and systolic blood pressure (SBP) values at baseline or after treatment.CONCLUSIONSLinagliptin administered in addition to stable RAAS inhibitors led to a significant reduction in albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes and renal dysfunction. This observation was independent of changes in glucose level or SBP. Further research to prospectively investigate the renal effects of linagliptin is underway.

Postoperative chemotherapy alone is a promising treatment for medulloblastoma in young children without metastases.

We analyzed whether childhood craniopharyngioma predisposes to obesity and growth impairment. Height/length, body mass index (BMI), and hypothalamic involvement were evaluated in 90 patients at standardized ages and time points before, after, and at the time of diagnosis. Relevant decreases in height sd score (SDS) started at 10-12 months of age and persisted until diagnosis of childhood craniopharyngioma. Relevant increases in BMI SDS were detectable between 4 and 5 yr of age. Postoperative BMI SDS (yr 1-6) had a weak positive correlation with BMI SDS at the time of diagnosis. In linear regression analysis, hypothalamic tumor involvement (P < 0.001), ponderal index at birth (P = 0.014), and BMI SDS at age 6-7 months (P = 0.029) and at age 5 yr (P < 0.001) had relevant and independent impacts on the development of obesity. Patients with hypothalamic involvement (n = 48) presented lower ponderal index and BMI SDS at birth and higher BMI SDS at the time of diagnosis (P < 0.001) as well as during annual follow-up (P < 0.001) compared with patients without hypothalamic involvement (n = 42). From childhood (3.5-4 yr) to the time of diagnosis, growth rates were reduced for patients with hypothalamic tumor involvement. Patients without hypothalamic involvement presented reduced growth rates in early infancy (age 10-12 months) that persisted until diagnosis. We conclude that reduced growth rates occur quite early in history; BMI SDS increases occur later and are predictive of obesity. Hypothalamic involvement is the major risk factor for obesity in patients with childhood craniopharyngioma.

Our results confirm the high frequency of desmoplastic variants of medulloblastomas in early childhood and histopathology as a strong independent prognostic factor. A controlled de-escalation of treatment may be appropriate for young children with DNMB and MBEN in future clinical trials.