Hypoglycaemia due to interaction of glimepiride with isoniazid in a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Integration of Clinical and Scientific Principles in the Teaching of Drug-Drug Interactions

Evaluation of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) is an integral part of pharmacy practice worldwide. An understanding of the scientific mechanisms behind and the clinical implications of DDIs is important for proper management of pharmacotherapy. Here, we describe an integrated approach to teaching both aspects of DDIs as a standalone module in diverse course settings. These include on-campus and online delivery to international and local audiences in small and large classes. We describe the scientific, clinical, and integrated learning objectives of the module, and we show how these can be achieved through group projects based on published DDI case reports.

Effects of Co-administration of Sulfonylureas and Antimicrobial Drugs on Hypoglycemia in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Using a Case-Crossover Design

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sulfonylureas (SUs) and antimicrobial co-administration on hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

We conducted a case-crossover study using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Inpatient Sample database, using data from 2014 to 2016. Hospitalized adult patients with T2DM who were diagnosed with hypoglycemia and prescribed SUs for at least 120 days were included. Different risk ratings of severity of drug-drug interactions were considered, including "level X, D, or C" in Lexi-Interact online and "contraindicated, major, or moderate" in Micromedex. Exposure to antimicrobials in the 30-day period before the first hypoglycemia diagnosis was assessed. Two control periods (61-90 and 91-120 days) were matched before the diagnosis date. Conditional logistic regression analysis was conducted to compare the odds of antimicrobial exposure.

RESULTS

A total of 9339 patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 71.3 ± 10.6 years, and 4818 (51.6%) were women. An increased risk of hypoglycemia was associated with co-administration of SUs and certain antimicrobials (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.34-2.80). The antimicrobial agents that were associated with an increased risk of hypoglycemia, when co-administered with SUs, were sulfonamides (aOR 2.99, 95% CI 1.99-4.52), fluoroquinolones (aOR 2.62, 95% CI 2.38-2.89), macrolides (aOR 2.48, 95% CI 1.88-3.27), and tetracyclines (aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.05-2.33).

CONCLUSIONS

Co-administration with SUs and certain antimicrobials increased the risk of hypoglycemia. Thus, clinically relevant interactions in patients concurrently using SUs and antimicrobials should be monitored, especially within 30 days after co-administration.

Effect of glimepiride on the pharmacokinetics of teneligliptin in healthy Korean subjects

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

Teneligliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, commonly prescribed in combination with glimepiride. Teneligliptin is metabolized by CYP3A4, and glimepiride might be partly metabolized by CYP3A4. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible effect of glimepiride on the pharmacokinetics of teneligliptin in healthy subjects.

METHODS

A repeated dose, open-label, fixed-sequence study was conducted in 26 healthy subjects. All participants were administered 20 mg teneligliptin daily for 6 days. On day 7, 4 mg glimepiride was administered together with 20 mg teneligliptin. Plasma teneligliptin concentrations were measured at a steady state, and its pharmacokinetic characteristics were compared without and with glimepiride.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

No statistically significant difference was found in the effect of glimepiride on teneligliptin pharmacokinetics. The steady-state C_max,ss values of teneligliptin without and with glimepiride were 207.01 ng/mL and 202.15 ng/mL, respectively. Its AUC_τ values at steady-state without and with glimepiride were 1527.8 ng · h/mL and 1578.6 ng · h/mL, respectively. The point estimation of geometric mean ratios (GMR) and the 90% confidence interval for both C_max,ss and AUC_τ were within the equivalence range of 0.8-1.25. The results of the present study revealed that glimepiride did not cause pharmacokinetic interaction with teneligliptin in humans.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

Glimepiride did not affect the pharmacokinetic characteristics of teneligliptin in healthy subjects.

A pilot study to determine the occurrence of concomitant diseases and drug intake in patients on antituberculosis therapy

Introduction:

Altered pharmacokinetics of antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs due to interaction with non-TB medications or concomitant diseases may lead to suboptimal plasma levels of the affected drugs and hence contribute to the emergence of drug resistance in mycobacteria. Yet, few studies have investigated the prevalence of concomitant drug intake or concurrent diseases in patients on anti-TB therapy (ATT). The objective of this study is to study the prevalence of concomitant diseases and intake of non-TB drugs in patients on ATT.

Methods:

Adult patients who were undergoing treatment for TB at a directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) center were interviewed to find out any concomitant drug intake and ailments they were suffering from. Data were also collected from the patients’ treatment cards.

Results:

A total of 105 patients were interviewed for the study over a period of 1 month. Among these, 66 (62.9%) patients reported having taken a non-ATT drug in the last 3 months, 61 (58.1%) of which were drugs that may affect the ATT. A comparable number of patients (61 [58.1%]) reported suffering from one or the other concurrent illnesses or symptoms while on DOTS, including one patient with AIDS and eight with diabetes mellitus. Fluoroquinolones had been prescribed to four patients while on DOTS.

Conclusion:

A large proportion of the patients with TB were found to be on non-TB concomitant medications including drugs with potential for interactions that are capable of affecting ATT outcomes. It is, therefore, important that the patients and prescribing physicians be aware of any possible drug interactions.

Association between IL-15 and insulin plasmatic concentrations in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and type 2 diabetes

IL-15 is part of the immune response in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) but amazingly, it may also induce physiological effects similar to those of insulin. We evaluated the IL-15 and insulin plasmatic levels in adults with PTB and with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), who received previous antituberculosis therapy for at least 2 months. We analyzed the concentrations of glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, as well as levels of IL-15, IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in patients with PTB, patients with PTB-DM2, household contacts with DM2 (C-DM2), and healthy household contacts (H-C). Our results showed unexpected high levels of glucose, insulin, and IL-15 in the PTB and C-DM2 groups. In comparison, low levels of these same indicators were observed in the PTB-DM2 and H-C groups. Interestingly, our analysis showed a positive correlation of IL-15 with insulin in the PTB group (r = 0.73) and in the C-DM2 group (r = 0.66). In comparison, a weak correlation between IL-15 and insulin was observed in the PTB-DM group (r = 0.10) and in the H-C group (ρ = 0.26). Our results suggest an association between IL-15 and insulin levels in the patient with PTB. Intriguingly, this association was weaker in the patient with PTB-DM2.