NCT01809106 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01809106?term=cerp&rank=2).

No abstract

Diabetes has been claimed to be a risk factor for pancreatic carcinoma, but it is probably a consequence of gland invasion from the neoplastic tissue. A link between diabetes and pancreatic carcinoma was suggested by means of biochemical markers of the diseases, namely glycated hemoglobin and CA19.9. Moreover, CA19.9 was proposed as a sensitive and useful marker of the severity of exocrine damage in diabetes, since the mucin decreased when metabolic compensation improved. We examined 64 diabetic patients (36 insulin dependent, 16 non insulin dependent, 12 treated with diet) by measuring CA19.9 using two different immunometric methods and glycemia and glycated hemoglobin. We observed that a correlation between CA19.9 and biochemical markers of metabolic compensation of diabetes was inexistent and no differences between insulin dependent and non insulin dependent patients were found. A high concentration of CA19.9 in a diabetic patient should be interpreted and evaluated in the same manner as for a non diabetic patient.

Age, female sex, and obesity are well-known risk factors for gallstones; in contrast the possible role of type 2 diabetes mellitus (type-2 DM) is controversial. One reason for this discrepancy might be that type 2 DM is often accompanied by obesity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of obesity and of type 2 DM, separately and together, as risk factors for gallstones. In all, 203 obese patients with normal glucose tolerance (obese NGT), 446 obese patients with type 2 DM (obese type 2 DM), 269 lean patients with type 2 DM (lean type 2 DM) and 250 lean subjects with a normal glucose tolerance (lean NGT) were evaluated by ultrasonography for the presence of gallstones. At univariate analysis patients with gallstones (177) were older and were more frequently affected by both obesity and type 2 DM, and had higher triglycerides and fasting blood glucose levels. At multiple logistic regression analysis, only age and obesity, both in the presence or in absence of type 2 DM, were strongly associated with gallstones (P < 0.001); diabetes alone had a lower level of statistical significance (P = 0.07). These data suggest that obesity is a stronger risk factor for gallstones than type 2 DM.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of endogenous insulin levels and of insulin administration on coronary heart disease (CHD) and on mortality in a cohort of patients with long-standing non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2). In a cross-sectional study, 93 patients (known duration 17 +/- 8 years, mean+/-SD) with poor metabolic control (glycosylated hemoglobin, HbA1C 9.3%+/-2.09%) were evaluated for CHD, for insulin release (C-peptide), for clinical and metabolic parameters including body mass index (BMI), smoking habits, arterial blood pressure (BP), blood lipids, kidney function, and proteinuria. Life status was ascertained 5 years later by direct examination or through death certificates. At entry, 54 out of 93 patients had CHD; after 5 years, 25 patients had died. Comparisons performed on patients of the same age range showed that patients with CHD (34 vs 24) had a greater BMI, higher diastolic BP, higher creatinine, triglyceride and uric acid levels, and higher fasting and i.v. glucagon-stimulated C-peptide release. By logistic stepwise regression analysis, fasting C-peptide and triglycerides were independently associated with CHD. In the follow-up study, surviving patients (39 vs 19) showed at baseline lower triglyceride and creatinine levels, were less frequently affected by CHD, and received lower doses of insulin; by logistic stepwise regression analysis, presence of CHD, dose of insulin, and creatinine levels were independent risk factors for mortality. These data indicate that in patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes mellitus and poor metabolic control, CHD and overall mortality are related to insulin release and to insulin administration, suggesting that markers of insulin resistance represent additional risk factors for CHD and for mortality. Reduction of insulin resistance, together with achievement of good metabolic control, might prevent morbidity and mortality in long-standing type 2 diabetes mellitus.