Genetic Risk Score in Diabetes Associated With Chronic Pancreatitis Versus Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Management of chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis results from repeated episodes of pancreatic inflammation and associated fibrosis leading to the loss of functional exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function. The disease is manifested by abdominal pain, deterioration in quality of life, food maldigestion and malabsorption, diabetes, and an increased risk for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This review summarizes the latest evidence on the diagnosis and management of chronic pancreatitis and its manifestations. In particular, this review discusses advances in understanding of the role of genetic disorders in the mechanisms of the disease and surgical options for patients refractory to medical therapy. Furthermore, clinical trials are under way to develop medical therapeutics.

Identification of Differential Metabolites Between Type 2 Diabetes and Postchronic Pancreatitis Diabetes (Type 3c) Based on an Untargeted Metabolomics Approach

OBJECTIVE

A nontargeted metabolomics approach was established to characterize serum metabolic profile in type 3c diabetes mellitus (T3cDM) secondary to chronic pancreatitis and compare with T2DM.

METHODS

Forty patients were recruited for metabolite analysis based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Cluster heatmap and KEGG metabolic pathway enrichment analysis were used to analyze the specific and differential metabolites. The receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) were generated and correlation analysis with clinical data was conducted.

RESULTS

Metabolites including sphingosine, lipids, carnitine, bile acid, and hippuric acid were found to be different between T2DM and T3cDM, mainly enriched in bile acid biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and sphingolipid metabolic pathways. The ROCs were generated with an area under the curve of 0.907 (95% confidence interval, 0.726-1) for the model with 15 metabolites.

CONCLUSION

T3cDM is characterized by increased sphingosine, carnitine, bile acid, and most lipids, providing novel biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and a future direction in research on pathophysiological mechanisms.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on the Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Management of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency: Expert Review

DESCRIPTION

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is a disorder caused by the failure of the pancreas to deliver a minimum/threshold level of specific pancreatic digestive enzymes to the intestine, leading to the maldigestion of nutrients and macronutrients, resulting in their variable deficiencies. EPI is frequently underdiagnosed and, as a result, patients are often not treated appropriately. There is an urgent need to increase awareness of and treatment for this condition. The aim of this American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Clinical Practice Update Expert Review was to provide Best Practice Advice on the epidemiology, evaluation, and management of EPI.

METHODS

This Expert Review was commissioned and approved by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee (CPUC) and the AGA Governing Board to provide timely guidance on a topic of high clinical importance to the AGA membership, and underwent internal peer review by the CPUC and external peer review through standard procedures of Gastroenterology. These Best Practice Advice statements were drawn from a review of the published literature and from expert opinion. Because systematic reviews were not performed, these Best Practice Advice statements do not carry formal ratings regarding the quality of evidence or strength of the presented considerations. Best Practice Advice Statements BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 1: EPI should be suspected in patients with high-risk clinical conditions, such as chronic pancreatitis, relapsing acute pancreatitis, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, cystic fibrosis, and previous pancreatic surgery. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 2: EPI should be considered in patients with moderate-risk clinical conditions, such as duodenal diseases, including celiac and Crohn's disease; previous intestinal surgery; longstanding diabetes mellitus; and hypersecretory states (eg, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome). BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 3: Clinical features of EPI include steatorrhea with or without diarrhea, weight loss, bloating, excessive flatulence, fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies, and protein-calorie malnutrition. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 4: Fecal elastase test is the most appropriate initial test and must be performed on a semi-solid or solid stool specimen. A fecal elastase level <100 μg/g of stool provides good evidence of EPI, and levels of 100-200 μg/g are indeterminate for EPI. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 5: Fecal elastase testing can be performed while on pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 6: Fecal fat testing is rarely needed and must be performed when on a high-fat diet. Quantitative testing is generally not practical for routine clinical use. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 7: Response to a therapeutic trial of pancreatic enzymes is unreliable for EPI diagnosis. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 8: Cross-sectional imaging methods (computed tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging, and endoscopic ultrasound) cannot identify EPI, although they play an important role in the diagnosis of benign and malignant pancreatic disease. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 9: Breath tests and direct pancreatic function tests hold promise, but are not widely available in the United States. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 10: Once EPI is diagnosed, treatment with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) is required. If EPI is left untreated, it will result in complications related to fat malabsorption and malnutrition, having a negative impact on quality of life. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 11: PERT formulations are all derived from porcine sources and are equally effective at equivalent doses. There is a need for H2 or proton pump inhibitor therapy with non-enteric-coated preparations. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 12: PERT should be taken during the meal, with the initial treatment of at least 40,000 USP units of lipase during each meal in adults and one-half of that with snacks. The subsequent dosage can be adjusted based on the meal size and fat content. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 13: Routine supplementation and monitoring of fat-soluble vitamin levels are appropriate. Dietary modifications include a low-moderate fat diet with frequent smaller meals and avoiding very-low-fat diets. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 14: Measures of successful treatment with PERT include reduction in steatorrhea and associated gastrointestinal symptoms; a gain of weight, muscle mass, and muscle function; and improvement in fat-soluble vitamin levels. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 15: EPI should be monitored and baseline measurements of nutritional status should be obtained (body mass index, quality-of-life measure, and fat-soluble vitamin levels). A baseline dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan should be obtained and repeated every 1-2 years.

Integrated Physiology of the Exocrine and Endocrine Compartments in Pancreatic Diseases: Workshop Proceedings

The Integrated Physiology of the Exocrine and Endocrine Compartments in Pancreatic Diseases workshop was a 1.5-day scientific conference at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD) that engaged clinical and basic science investigators interested in diseases of the pancreas. This report provides a summary of the proceedings from the workshop. The goals of the workshop were to forge connections and identify gaps in knowledge that could guide future research directions. Presentations were segregated into six major theme areas, including 1) pancreas anatomy and physiology, 2) diabetes in the setting of exocrine disease, 3) metabolic influences on the exocrine pancreas, 4) genetic drivers of pancreatic diseases, 5) tools for integrated pancreatic analysis, and 6) implications of exocrine-endocrine cross talk. For each theme, multiple presentations were followed by panel discussions on specific topics relevant to each area of research; these are summarized here. Significantly, the discussions resulted in the identification of research gaps and opportunities for the field to address. In general, it was concluded that as a pancreas research community, we must more thoughtfully integrate our current knowledge of normal physiology as well as the disease mechanisms that underlie endocrine and exocrine disorders so that there is a better understanding of the interplay between these compartments.

Development of a Clinical Prediction Model for Diabetes in Chronic Pancreatitis: The PREDICT3c Study

OBJECTIVE

Diabetes that arises from chronic pancreatitis (CP) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Methods to predict which patients with CP are at greatest risk for diabetes are urgently needed. We aimed to examine independent risk factors for diabetes in a large cohort of patients with CP.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study comprised 645 individuals with CP enrolled in the PROCEED study, of whom 276 had diabetes. We conducted univariable and multivariable regression analyses of potential risk factors for diabetes. Model performance was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis, and accuracy was evaluated by cross validation. Exploratory analyses were stratified according to the timing of development of diabetes relative to the diagnosis of pancreatitis.

RESULTS

Independent correlates of diabetes in CP included risk factors for type 2 diabetes (older age, overweight/obese status, male sex, non-White race, tobacco use) as well as pancreatic disease-related factors (history of acute pancreatitis complications, nonalcoholic etiology of CP, exocrine pancreatic dysfunction, pancreatic calcification, pancreatic atrophy) (AUROC 0.745). Type 2 diabetes risk factors were predominant for diabetes occurring before pancreatitis, and pancreatic disease-related factors were predominant for diabetes occurring after pancreatitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple factors are associated with diabetes in CP, including canonical risk factors for type 2 diabetes and features associated with pancreatitis severity. This study lays the groundwork for the future development of models integrating clinical and nonclinical data to identify patients with CP at risk for diabetes and identifies modifiable risk factors (obesity, smoking) on which to focus for diabetes prevention.

Post-pancreatitis diabetes mellitus: insight on optimal management with nutrition and lifestyle approaches

Pancreatitis is the leading gastrointestinal cause of hospitalizations. There are multiple short- and long-term complications associated with pancreatitis. Post-pancreatitis diabetes mellitus (PPDM) is one of the less explored complications of pancreatitis. Nonetheless, it has attracted considerable attention during the last decade. PPDM is now the second most common cause of new-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) in adults after type II DM surpassing type 1 DM. However, there exists a knowledge gap amongst practitioners regarding diagnosis, complications, and management of PPDM. In this narrative, we aim to provide a brief review regarding risks, diagnosis and management of PPDM with a special focus on dietary and lifestyle management strategies.KEY MESSAGESPost-pancreatitis diabetes mellitus (PPDM) is now the second most common cause of new-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) in adults after type II DM surpassing type 1 DM.New-onset diabetes in patients with pancreatitis could also be an early marker of occult pancreatic malignancy.Management of PPDM is complex and requires a team-based approach including gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, primary care physicians, nutritionists, and behavioural health specialists.

The spectrum of diabetes in acute and chronic pancreatitis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To discuss the spectrum of diabetes related to acute and chronic pancreatitis (which are types of pancreatogenic diabetes) and its overlapping features with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Patients with diabetes related to acute and chronic pancreatitis present clinically within a spectrum of overlapping features with other forms of diabetes. In this spectrum, glucose metabolism alterations range from increased insulin resistance following acute pancreatitis (resembling type 2 diabetes) towards a permanent loss of beta-cell function and impaired insulin secretion in end-stage chronic pancreatitis. Overlapping features with type 1 diabetes (beta cell autoantibodies) and type 2 diabetes (obesity, dyslipidemia, and hereditary/genetic factors) contribute to the heterogeneity of this spectrum.

SUMMARY

Pancreatogenic diabetes secondary to acute or chronic pancreatitis is a heterogeneous entity with a variable clinical presentation, including many cases that are misdiagnosed and treated as type 2 diabetes. This is problematic as pancreatogenic diabetes is associated with a poor prognosis and entails special considerations for management. Recent discoveries showing overlapping features with type 1 and type 2 diabetes along with an improved understanding of its pathophysiology are expected to improve the diagnosis and treatment of these and other forms of pancreatogenic diabetes.

Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events, Severe Hypoglycemia, and All-Cause Mortality in Postpancreatitis Diabetes Mellitus Versus Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

Postpancreatitis diabetes mellitus (PPDM) is a frequent complication of pancreatitis and associates with poor glycemic control. We investigated the risk of adverse diabetes-related outcomes in PPDM compared with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In this Danish population-based cohort study, we included adults (>18 years) with incident PPDM or type 2 diabetes between 1998 and 2018 through national health registries. PPDM was further divided into acute (PPDM-A) and chronic (PPDM-C) subtypes. We ascertained risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), severe hypoglycemia, and all-cause mortality as well as incidence rates of severe hypoglycemia. We compared risk and incidence rates across diabetes subgroups using multivariate Cox and Poisson regression analyses.

RESULTS

We identified 383,325 people with incident type 2 diabetes, 3,418 with PPDM-A, and 2,461 with PPDM-C. Compared with type 2 diabetes, PPDM-C was associated with increased risks of severe hypoglycemia (hazard ratio [HR] 5.27, 95% CI 4.62-6.00, P < 0.001) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.45-1.64, P < 0.001). Similar patterns were observed for people with PPDM-A. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for severe hypoglycemia were increased in both PPDM-C (IRR 7.38, 95% CI 6.75-8.08, P < 0.001) and PPDM-A (IRR 3.76, 95% CI 3.36-4.21, P < 0.001) compared with type 2 diabetes. Findings were consistent in an analysis restricted to people on insulin and in an analysis including pancreatitis patients without diabetes as comparator group.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with type 2 diabetes, PPDM is associated with excess risk of adverse diabetes-related outcomes. This has important implications for management.

Pancreatogenic Diabetes in Children With Recurrent Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis: Risks, Screening, and Treatment (Mini-Review)

Up to 9% of children with acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP) or chronic pancreatitis have pancreatogenic diabetes mellitus (DM), and this risk likely increases as they age into adulthood. Risk factors for pancreatogenic DM in children vary depending on the clinical cohort but may include pancreatic atrophy, exocrine insufficiency, pancreatic calcifications, obesity/metabolic syndrome features, or autoimmune diseases. Knowledge regarding disease pathology is extrapolated nearly entirely from studies in adults. Insulin deficiency is the primary defect, resulting from islet loss associated with pancreatic fibrosis and cytokine-mediated β-cell dysfunction. Beta cell autoimmunity (type 1 diabetes) should also be considered as markers for this have been identified in a small subset of children with pancreatogenic DM. Hepatic insulin resistance, a deficient pancreatic polypeptide state, and dysfunctional incretin hormone response to a meal are all potential contributors in adults with pancreatogenic DM but their significance in pediatrics is yet unknown. Current guidelines recommend yearly screening for diabetes with fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Insulin in the first-line pharmacologic therapy for treatment of pancreatogenic DM in children. Involvement of a multidisciplinary team including a pediatric endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, and dietitian are important, and nutritional health and exocrine insufficiency must also be addressed for optimal DM management.

Clinical and biochemical characteristics of postpancreatitis diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study from the Danish nationwide DD2 cohort

BACKGROUND

Postpancreatitis diabetes mellitus (PPDM) is a common metabolic sequalae of acute and chronic pancreatitis. We conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the proportion of PPDM among patients clinically diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Denmark and their clinical and biochemical characteristics.

METHODS

We identified all past diagnoses of pancreatitis among patients in the Danish Centre for Strategic Research in Type 2 Diabetes (DD2) cohort through linkage with national health registries. Using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes we categorized patients as PPDM and further divided them into acute/chronic subtypes (PPDM-A and PPDM-C). We assessed PPDM prevalence and examined associations with clinical and biochemical parameters using log binomial or Poisson regression to calculate age-/sex-adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs).

RESULTS

Among 5564 patients with a clinical diagnosis of T2D, 78 (1.4%) had PPDM. Compared to T2D, PPDM patients were more often underweight or normal weight (body mass index ≤25.0 kg/m² : aPR 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-3.2) and had lower waist-to-hip ratio (≤0.95/≤0.80 in men/women: aPRs 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2-2.7). PPDM patients had lower plasma amylase levels (<17 U/L: aPRs 2.2; 95% CI: 1.1-4.3), higher insulin sensitivity (homeostatic model assessment 2S [HOMA2S] >63: aPR 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2-3.2) and tended to have worse glycaemic control (HbA1c ≥8.0%: aPRs 1.4; 95% CI: 0.8-2.4). PPDM-A was largely indistinguishable from T2D, whereas PPDM-C had impaired insulin secretion, higher insulin sensitivity, and worse glycemic control.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of PPDM among patients with clinically diagnosed T2D is ~1.5% in an everyday clinical care setting. Glucose metabolism of PPDM-A is largely indistinguishable from T2D, whereas PPDM-C differs in relation to insulin secretion and sensitivity.

Pain Experience in Pancreatitis: Strong Association of Genetic Risk Loci for Anxiety and PTSD in Patients With Severe, Constant, and Constant-Severe Pain

INTRODUCTION

Recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) are progressive inflammatory syndromes with variable features. Pain is the primary feature that contributes to low physical and mental quality of life with a third of patients reporting severe pain. Pain experience is worsened by depression. Here, we tested the hypothesis that genetic risk of the psychiatric conditions of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with pain in CP and RAP + CP subjects.

METHODS

The study cohort included phenotyped and genotyped RAP and CP patients from the North American Pancreatitis Study II of European Ancestry. Candidate genetic association studies were based on the absence of pain vs pain that is constant, constant-severe, or severe. Twenty-eight candidate genetic loci for anxiety and PTSD risk were identified in the literature and were the focus of this study.

RESULTS

We identified 24 significant pain-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms within 13 loci across the 3 pain patterns in CP and RAP + CP (P < 0.002). Thirteen anxiety or PTSD genes were within these pain loci indicating nonrandom associations (P < 4.885 × 10-23). CTNND2 was associated with all pain categories and all pancreatitis etiologies. Implicated systems include neuronal signaling (HTR2A, DRD3, NPY, and BDNF), hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (NR3C1 and FKBP5), and cell-cell interaction (CTNND2 and THBS2).

DISCUSSION

A component of constant and severe pain in patients with RAP and CP is associated with genetic predisposition to anxiety and PTSD. Identification of patients at risk eligible for trials of targeted treatment as a component of a multidisciplinary pain management strategy should be formally evaluated.

Glucose-Lowering Therapy in Patients With Postpancreatitis Diabetes Mellitus: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

Postpancreatitis diabetes mellitus (PPDM) is a type of secondary diabetes that requires special considerations for management. The main objective was to examine prescription patterns of glucose-lowering therapy among adults with PPDM compared with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a Danish nationwide population-based cohort study, we identified all individuals with adult-onset diabetes in the period 2000-2018 and categorized them as having type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or PPDM. We ascertained diabetes incidence rates, clinical and demographic characteristics, and classifications and prescription patterns of glucose-lowering therapy and compared these parameters across diabetes subgroups.

RESULTS

Among 398,456 adults with new-onset diabetes, 5,879 (1.5%) had PPDM, 9,252 (2.3%) type 1 diabetes, and the remaining type 2 diabetes (96.2%). The incidence rate of PPDM was 7.9 (95% CI 7.7-8.1) per 100,000 person-years versus 12.5 (95% CI 12.2-12.7) for type 1 diabetes (incidence rate ratio 0.6 [95% CI 0.6-0.7]; P < 0.001). A sizeable proportion of patients with PPDM were classified as having type 2 diabetes (44.9%) and prescribed sulfonylureas (25.2%) and incretin-based therapies (18.0%) that can potentially be harmful in PPDM. In contrast, 35.0% of patients never received biguanides, which are associated with a survival benefit in PPDM. Increased insulin requirements were observed for patients with PPDM compared with type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio 3.10 [95% CI 2.96-3.23]; P < 0.001) in particular for PPDM associated with chronic pancreatitis (hazard ratio 4.30 [95% CI 4.01-4.56]; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

PPDM is a common type of secondary diabetes in adults but is often misclassified and treated as type 2 diabetes, although PPDM requires special considerations for management.

Distinguishing diabetes secondary to pancreatic diseases from type 2 diabetes mellitus

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Diabetes secondary to pancreatic diseases (i.e., acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer) is increasingly studied, but remains challenging to distinguish from type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We review the clinical significance and potential biomarkers that may help differentiate these types of diabetes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies have identified several complications (including nonvascular) that occur more frequently in patients with diabetes secondary to acute and chronic pancreatitis than T2DM, and biomarkers to differentiate these types of diabetes. There have been advances that may enable the enrichment of a population of adults with new onset diabetes to potentially screen for occult pancreatic cancer, but efforts are needed to identify and validate promising diagnostic biomarkers.

SUMMARY

High-quality studies are needed to more precisely understand the risk factors and natural course of diabetes secondary to pancreatic diseases. Mechanistic and interventional studies are awaited to provide insights that will distinguish diabetes secondary to pancreatic diseases and refine the management of hyperglycemia in this patient population.

Diabetes in chronic pancreatitis: risk factors and natural history

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to delineate risk factors for the development of diabetes in patients with chronic pancreatitis. The natural history including progression to diabetes and complications that develop once diabetes occurs in chronic pancreatitis is also reviewed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies have found that predictors of diabetes in chronic pancreatitis include both risk factors for type 2 diabetes (e.g., obesity, genetic variants) as well as pancreas-specific factors (e.g., pancreatic calcification, exocrine insufficiency). Rates of diabetes in chronic pancreatitis are strongly related to the duration of chronic pancreatitis, reflecting progressive dysfunction and damage to the insulin-secreting beta cells. Patients with diabetes and chronic pancreatitis experience an excess burden of complications, including higher all-cause and cancer-related mortality.

SUMMARY

The high incidence and significant impact of diabetes on the morbidity and mortality of patients with chronic pancreatitis highlights the urgent need for clinically applicable models to predict diabetes in those with chronic pancreatitis, allowing efforts for targeted interventions to prevent diabetes. Research being carried out in the Consortium for the Study of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, and Pancreatic Cancer holds promise to fulfill these goals.

Diabetes following acute pancreatitis

Diabetes represents a group of diseases involving persistent hyperglycaemia. Exocrine disorders of the pancreas are increasingly recognised to cause or precede the onset of diabetes, which in this context is referred to as pancreatogenic or type 3c diabetes. Diabetes, as a sequela of acute pancreatitis, is observed across the spectrum of severity in acute pancreatitis and can be associated with other clinical complications. The pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis-related diabetes is poorly understood, and observations suggest that it is probably multifactorial. In this Review, we discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management considerations of diabetes following acute pancreatitis, and highlight knowledge gaps in this topic.

Pancreatic atrophy and exocrine insufficiency associate with the presence of diabetes in chronic pancreatitis patients, but additional mediators are operative

OBJECTIVES

Diabetes mellitus is a frequent complication of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and has traditionally been considered to develop as a consequence of pancreatic islet cell loss. However, additional mechanisms may be operative including accumulation of pancreatic fat and fibrosis. We used advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study pancreatic morphology and exocrine function in a reference population and in CP patients with and without diabetes.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional mono centre study. All subjects underwent advanced MRI including assessment of pancreatic ductal parameters (Cambridge classification and main pancreatic duct diameter), parenchymal parameters (DIXON technique and diffusion weighted imaging as proxies for pancreatic fat content and fibrosis, as well as pancreatic volume segmentation). Pancreatic exocrine function was determined as duodenal secretion following secretin stimulation and by the faecal elastase test.

RESULTS

The study included 76 patients with definite CP of whom 23 (30.1%) had diabetes and 23 sex- and age matched healthy volunteers. Compared to their non-diabetic counterparts, diabetic patients were characterised by a low pancreatic volume (20 vs. 36 ml; p = .02) and impaired pancreatic exocrine function (faecal elastase 19 vs. 48 µg/g; p = .008), while no difference between patients with and without diabetes were seen in relation to MRI derived proxies for fibrosis and pancreatic fat accumulation and pancreatic duct parameters. A large proportion of non-diabetic patients (49%) had similar morphological and functional characteristics as patients with diabetes.

CONCLUSION

Pancreatic atrophy and exocrine insufficiency are present in most CP patients with diabetes, but additional mediators seem to be operative in post pancreatitis diabetes mellitus.

Pathological Mechanisms in Diabetes of the Exocrine Pancreas: What's Known and What's to Know

The clinical significance of diabetes arising in the setting of pancreatic disease (also known as diabetes of the exocrine pancreas, DEP) has drawn more attention in recent years. However, significant improvements still need to be made in the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder, and in the knowledge of the pathological mechanisms. The clinical course of DEP is different from type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). DEP develops in patients with previous existing exocrine pancreatic disorders which damage both exocrine and endocrine parts of pancreas, and lead to pancreas exocrine insufficiency (PEI) and malnutrition. Therefore, damage in various exocrine and endocrine cell types participating in glucose metabolism regulation likely contribute to the development of DEP. Due to the limited amount of clinical and experimental studies, the pathological mechanism of DEP is poorly defined. In fact, it still not entirely clear whether DEP represents a distinct pathologic entity or is a form of T2DM arising when β cell failure is accelerated by pancreatic disease. In this review, we include findings from related studies in T1DM and T2DM to highlight potential pathological mechanisms involved in initiation and progression of DEP, and to provide directions for future research studies.

Novel Biomarkers to Distinguish between Type 3c and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Untargeted Metabolomics

Pancreatogenic diabetes mellitus (T3cDM) is a highly frequent complication of pancreatic disease, especially chronic pancreatitis, and it is often misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A correct diagnosis allows the appropriate treatment of these patients, improving their quality of life, and various technologies have been employed over recent years to search for specific biomarkers of each disease. The main aim of this metabolomic project was to find differential metabolites between T3cDM and T2DM. Reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry was performed in serum samples from patients with T3cDM and T2DM. Multivariate Principal Component and Partial Least Squares-Discriminant analyses were employed to evaluate between-group variations. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify potential candidates and the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated to evaluate their diagnostic value. A panel of five differential metabolites obtained an area under the ROC curve of 0.946. In this study, we demonstrate the usefulness of untargeted metabolomics for the differential diagnosis between T3cDM and T2DM and propose a panel of five metabolites that appear altered in the comparison between patients with these diseases.

Constant-severe pain in chronic pancreatitis is associated with genetic loci for major depression in the NAPS2 cohort

BACKGROUND

Pain is the most debilitating symptom of recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) and often requires chronic opioids or total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation to manage. Pain is a complex experience that can be exacerbated by depression and vice versa. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that depression-associated genes are associated with a constant-severe pain experience in RAP/CP patients.

STUDY

A retrospective study was done using North American Pancreatitis Study II (NAPS2) genotyped RAP and CP patients with completed case report forms (n = 1,357). Subjects were divided based on pattern of pain and pain severity as constant-severe pain (n = 787) versus not constant-severe pain (n = 570) to conduct a nested genome-wide association study. The association between reported antidepressant medication use and depression gene loci was tested.

RESULTS

Constant-severe pain was reported in 58% (n = 787) of pancreatitis patients. No differences in sex or alcohol consumption were found based on pain severity. Antidepressant use was reported in 28% (n = 223), and they had lower SF-12 mental quality of life (MCS, p < 2.2 × 10^- 16). Fifteen loci associated with constant-severe pain (p < 0.00001) were found to be in or near depression-associated genes including ROBO2, CTNND2, SGCZ, CNTN5 and BAIAP2. Three of these genes respond to antidepressant use (SGCZ, ROBO2, and CTNND2).

CONCLUSION

Depression is a major co-factor in the pain experience. This genetic predisposition to depression may have utility in counseling patients and in instituting early antidepressant therapy for pain management of pancreatitis patients. Prospective randomized trials are warranted.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION

Clinicaltriasl.gov.# NCT01545167.

Precision medicine for pancreatic diseases

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We describe and contrast the strengths of precision medicine with Western medicine, and complex trait genetics with Mendelian genetics. Classic genetics focuses on highly penetrant pathogenic variants in a single gene believed to cause or confer a high risk for well-defined phenotypes. However, a minority of disorders have a single gene cause. Further, even individuals with identical Mendelian disease-associated genotypes may exhibit substantial phenotypic variability indicative of genetic and environmental modifiers. Still, most diseases are considered complex traits (or complex diseases).

RECENT FINDINGS

New insights into the genetic underpinnings of complex traits provide opportunities for advances in diagnosis and management. Precision medicine provides the framework for integrating complex trait knowledge into clinical care through a sophisticated analysis pipeline. Multidimensional modeling of acquired diseases includes multiple genetic risks scattered over many genes and gene regulators that must be interpreted on the basis of functional evidence (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics) with structured models and expert systems; strengthened with machine learning and artificial intelligence. The choice of genotyping approaches (shotgun sequencing, single nucleotide polymorphism chips, targeted panels) is discussed.

SUMMARY

The result of a good precision medicine tool is clinical-decision support and guidance to tackle complex disorders such as pancreatitis, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer oncogenesis.

Trajectories of glycaemia following acute pancreatitis: a prospective longitudinal cohort study with 24 months follow-up

BACKGROUND

New-onset diabetes is the most common sequela of acute pancreatitis (AP). Yet, prospective changes in glycaemia over time have never been investigated comprehensively in this study population. The primary aim was to determine the cumulative incidence of new-onset prediabetes and new-onset diabetes after AP over 24 months of follow-up in a prospective cohort study. The secondary aim was to identify trajectories of glycaemia during follow-up and their predictors at the time of hospitalisation.

METHODS

Patients with a prospective diagnosis of AP and no diabetes based on the American Diabetes Association criteria were followed up every 6 months up to 24 months after hospital discharge. Incidence of new-onset prediabetes/diabetes over each follow-up period was calculated. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to identify common changes in glycaemia. Multinomial regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations between a wide array of routinely available demographic, anthropometric, laboratory, imaging, and clinical factors and membership in the trajectory groups.

RESULTS

A total of 152 patients without diabetes were followed up. The cumulative incidence of new-onset prediabetes and diabetes was 20% at 6 months after hospitalisation and 43% over 24 months of follow-up (p trend < 0.001). Three discrete trajectories of glycaemia were identified: normal-stable glycaemia (32%), moderate-stable glycaemia (60%), and high-increasing glycaemia (8%). Waist circumference was a significant predictor of moderate-stable glycaemia. None of the studied predictors were significantly associated with high-increasing glycaemia.

CONCLUSIONS

This first prospective cohort study of changes in glycaemia (determined at structured time points in unselected AP patients) showed that at least one out of five patients develops new-onset prediabetes or diabetes at 6 months of follow-up and more than four out of ten-in the first 2 years. Changes in glycaemia after AP follow three discrete trajectories. This may inform prevention or early detection of critical changes in blood glucose metabolism following an attack of AP and, hence, reduce the burden of new-onset diabetes after acute pancreatitis.

Multiple risk factors for diabetes mellitus in patients with chronic pancreatitis: A multicentre study of 1117 cases

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus is a common complication of chronic pancreatitis. It is traditionally considered to develop as a consequence of beta cell loss, but there might be additional factors. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of type 2 diabetes-related risk factors in this context and population-based studies show increased risk of diabetes following acute pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to explore multiple risk factors for diabetes in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

METHODS

We conducted a multicentre, cross-sectional study of patients with definitive chronic pancreatitis according to the M-ANNHEIM criteria. We used multivariable logistic regression models to determine risk factors independently associated with diabetes.

RESULTS

The study included 1117 patients of whom 457 (40.9 %) had diabetes. The mean age was 52.8 ± 14.2 years and 67% were men. On multivariate analysis, parameters indicative of beta cell loss (pancreatic calcification, exocrine insufficiency, pancreatic resection) were confirmed as independent risk factors for diabetes (all p ≤ 0.02). In addition, type 2 diabetes-related risk factors (dyslipidaemia and overweight/obesity) were associated with the presence of diabetes (all p ≤ 0.002). Patients with a history of pancreatic fluid collections (indicative of previous attacks of acute pancreatitis) had a marginally increased risk of diabetes (p = 0.07).

CONCLUSION

In patients with chronic pancreatitis the presence of diabetes is associated with multiple risk factors including type 2 diabetes-related factors. Our observations attest to the understanding of this entity and may have implications for treatment.

Network medicine and type 2 diabetes mellitus: insights into disease mechanism and guide to precision medicine

Understanding the genomic basis of type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major challenge. Simple genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified ~250 loci that link to the phenotype; however, the great majority have tiny effect size of uncertain mechanistic significance. Polygenic risk score strategies do nothing more than integrate these statistical association into a single scalar parameter, again offering limited mechanistic insight. The new discipline of network medicine offers an approach by which to provide useful mechanistic information from GWAS and other omic data sets. To understand disease in the network context requires using a predefined comprehensive network-in our case the protein-protein interaction network, or interactome-as a template upon which to map loci from GWAS or other data sources. These loci have been shown to cluster in a subnetwork in the interactome (as is the case for most diseases), exploration of which identifies novel pathways that regulate disease pathogenesis and uncovers novel targets for therapeutic intervention. Such an approach is essential for utilizing the growing pool of omic data in a mechanistically rational way as we move increasingly towards precision medicine for this highly prevalent disorder.

Risk factor for diabetes mellitus in pediatric chronic pancreatitis patients

Pediatric patients suffer from chronic pancreatitis (CP), especially those with diabetes mellitus (DM). This study aimed to identify the incidence of and risk factors for DM in pediatric CP.CP patients admitted to our center from January 2000 to December 2013 were assigned to the pediatric (<18 years old) and adult group according to their age at onset of CP. Cumulative rates of DM and risk factors for both groups were calculated and identified.The median follow-up duration for the whole cohort was 7.6 years. In these 2153 patients, 13.5% of them were pediatrics. The mean age at the onset and the diagnosis of CP in pediatrics were 11.622 and 19.727, respectively. DM was detected in 13.1% patients and 31.0% patients in the pediatric group and adult group, respectively. Age at the onset of CP, smoking history, body mass index (BMI), and etiology of CP were identified risk factors for DM in pediatrics.DM was detected in 13.1% pediatric patients. Age at the onset of CP, smoking history, BMI, and etiology of CP were identified risk factors for the development of DM in pediatric CP patients. The high-risk populations were suggested to be monitored frequently. They could also benefit from a lifestyle modification.

Hypoglycemic activity of CPU2206: A novel peptide from sika (Cervus nippon Temminck) antler

Previous work had extracted and purified an antidiabetic peptide named CPU2206 with 7,127.6 Da. In this work, the toxicity of CPU2206 was first evaluated by daily administration to ICR mice, and after 28 days of administration, the body weight and lipid metabolism of the mice did not change significantly, which proved its safety and reliability. Second, further studies have focused on its hypoglycemic effects by daily intraperitoneal injection to alloxan-induced diabetic mice and KK-Ay mice, showing that CPU2206 effectively decreased the blood glucose and corresponding indicators of diabetic mice. Daily administration of CPU2206 nearly normalized the lipid metabolic parameters in diabetic mice. Histological examination also validated that CPU2206 ameliorated the pancreas injuries induced by alloxan or alleviated islet hypertrophy caused by insulin resistance in KK-Ay mice. To sum up, a totally new bioactive peptide CPU2206 obtained from sika antler showed significantly antidiabetic as well as lipid-lowering effects in diabetic mice. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Antler has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine to invigorate primordial energy, enrich the blood, strengthen bones, and improve both male and female sexual functions for thousands of years. Traditionally, velvet antler can be grinded directly and taken orally, or used in porridge, wine and meat stew. Our experiment enriches the research on the function of edible antlers, provides the basis for developing it into functional health food, and on the other hand, provides an idea for finding new antidiabetic drugs.