Background: Few prospective studies have compared the cardiovascular benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. We aimed to clarify the efficacy of dapagliflozin versus sitagliptin for modulating cardiometabolic risk factors including high glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, hypoglycemia, and body weight. Methods: This prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint, parallel-group trial enrolled 340 Japanese patients with early-stage type 2 diabetes receiving metformin alone or no glucose-lowering agents, who were randomized to receive dapagliflozin or sitagliptin for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved the composite endpoint of HbA1c level maintenance < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol), avoidance of hypoglycemia (maintenance of sensor glucose ≥ 3.0 mmol/L or ≥ 54 mg/dL), and ≥ 3.0% body weight loss from baseline. Secondary endpoints included components of the primary endpoint, other metabolic indices, and glucose variability indices measured using flash glucose monitoring. Results: Clinical characteristics of patients were age, 58.1 ± 12.2 years; known duration of diabetes, 5.8 ± 6.1 years; body weight, 74.7 ± 14.2 kg; body mass index, 27.9 ± 4.1 kg/m 2 ; and HbA1c level, 7.8 ± 0.8% at baseline. The achievement ratio of primary endpoint was significantly higher in the dapagliflozin group than in the sitagliptin group (24.4% vs. 13.8%, P < 0.05). While the rates of HbA1c level maintenance < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) and avoidance of hypoglycemia were comparable between the groups (49.4 vs. 50.0% and 88.7 vs. 92.3% for dapagliflozin vs. sitagliptin, respectively), body weight loss of ≥ 3.0% was significantly achieved in the dapagliflozin group (54.4 vs. 19.6%, P < 0.001). Moreover, dapagliflozin was superior to sitagliptin regarding several secondary endpoints that modulate cardiometabolic risk, namely reducing fasting plasma glucose, insulin, uric acid, increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and suppressing the increase in serum creatinine and the decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate. On the other hand, sitagliptin was superior to dapagliflozin in suppressing glucose variability.

Nivolumab has promising efficacy for treating various advanced malignant tumors, although it has been reported to induce a wide range of autoimmune adverse effects. We herein report the case of a patient with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma who developed adrenal insufficiency after 12 cycles of nivolumab treatment. Endocrine test results supported a diagnosis of isolated adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency due to hypophysitis, and replacement therapy using hydrocortisone has been successful. Although hypophysitis is a rare immune-related adverse event that is associated with nivolumab therapy, clinical awareness is essential, as this condition can be life-threatening and requires prompt treatment.

BackgroundRecent studies reported that sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduced the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compared to placebo in contrast to no reduction with dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors. However, there are no comparative studies on the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors and DPP4 inhibitors on HbA1c, body weight and hypoglycemia as risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present ongoing study is to compare the effects of dapagliflozin, a SGLT2 inhibitor, with those of sitagliptin, a DPP4 inhibitor, on cardiovascular risk factors in T2DM patients with inadequate glycemic control.MethodsThe study of dapagliflozin versus sitagliptin treatment efficacy on prevention of cardiovascular risk factors in T2DM patients (DIVERSITY-CVR study) is a prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint, parallel-group, comparative study. A total of 340 T2DM patients treated with metformin alone or with no glucose-lowering agents (hemoglobin A1c ≥ 7.0 and < 10.0%) will be randomized into the dapagliflozin group (5–10 mg/day, n = 170) and the sitagliptin group (50–100 mg/day, n = 170), and treated for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint is the rate of achieving a composite endpoint of the following three items at 24th week; (1) HbA1c < 7.0%; (2) body weight loss of ≥ 3.0% from baseline; (3) avoidance of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia will be monitored using the flash glucose monitoring system. The secondary outcomes include each component of the primary endpoint, plus indices of lipid metabolism, and evaluations related to safety.ConclusionsThere is lack of solid information on differences in the therapeutic effects of SGLT2 inhibitors and DPP4 inhibitors on multiple risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. It is anticipated that the results of the DIVERSITY-CVR study provides useful clinical data on the management of patients with T2DM, including reducing the risk of CVD. The results of this study will become available in 2019.Trial registration University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN000028014). Registered 30 June 2017Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12933-018-0730-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Background The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had a major impact on the health of people worldwide. The clinical background and clinical course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) among Japanese patients with COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods This study is an observational cohort of Japanese IBD patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Data on age, sex, IBD (classification, treatment, and activity), COVID-19 symptoms and severity, and treatment of COVID-19 were analyzed. Results From 72 participating facilities in Japan, 187 patients were registered from June 2020 to October 2021. The estimated incidence of COVID19 in Japanese IBD patients was 0.61%. The majority of IBD patients with COVID-19 (73%) were in clinical remission. According to the WHO classification regarding COVID-19 severity, 93% (172/184) of IBD patients had non-severe episodes, while 7% (12/184) were severe cases including serious conditions. 90.9% (165/187) of IBD patients with COVID-19 had no change in IBD disease activity. A logistic regression analysis stepwise method revealed that older age, higher body mass index (BMI), and steroid use were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity. Six of nine patients who had COVID-19 after vaccination were receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibodies. Conclusion Age, BMI and steroid use were associated with COVID-19 severity in Japanese IBD patients.

Aim: Elevated saturated fatty acid (SFA) and decreased polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels, especially n-3 PUFAs levels are important in the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome, but there are few accounts of the relationship between fatty acid composition and diabetic kidney disease. We investigated whether serum fatty acid composition, especially SFA and PUFA, are associated with urine albumin excretion (UAE) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in obese type 2 diabetic patients. Research Design and Method: The subjects were 85 patients (age: 60.3±13.9 years old, 47 male and 38 female) who were not taking EPA agents. They were divided into two groups, i.e., Obese group (n=54) with a BMI of more than 25 kg/m2 and non-Obese group (n=31) with a BMI below 25 kg/m2. Serum levels of fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography. Results: In the Obese group, the serum levels of palmitic acids and stearic acids, which belong to SFA, and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), which is an n-6 PUFA, were significantly higher than those in the non-Obese group. No significant differences were seen in the serum levels of n-3 PUFA. UAE in the Obese group was 218.8±88.9 mg/gCr, which tended to be higher than that in the non-Obese group (135.9±49.0 mg/gCr), but there were no significant differences in eGFR between the two groups. The serum levels of palmitic acids, stearic acids, and DGLA showed significant positive correlations with UAE and eGFR in the Obese group, while no significant correlation was seen in the non-Obese group. Palmitic acids and DGLA were correlated with serum adiponectin and leptin levels. Conclusion: These results suggest that an excessive lipid intake may play an important role in the development of not only obesity but also diabetic kidney disease. The high levels of blood SFA and n-6 PUFA might contribute to the diabetic kidney disease progression via hyperfiltration and inflammatory effects in type 2 diabetes patients with obesity. Disclosure M. Kawai: None. R. Eto: None. F. Ayako: None. G. Sato: None. M. Hijikata: None. K. Yamashita: None. T. Ichijo: None. M. Higa: None.