Comparison of Adverse Kidney Outcomes With Empagliflozin and Linagliptin Use in Patients With Type 2 Diabetic Patients in a Real-World Setting

Liver, renal, genitourinary and diabetic ketoacidosis risks among new users of empagliflozin versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes: Post-authorization safety study based on multinational cohorts

AIM

To estimate risks of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), acute liver injury (ALI), acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), severe complications of urinary tract infection (UTI) and genital infection (GI) among patients with type 2 diabetes initiating empagliflozin versus those initiating a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this large multinational, observational, new-user cohort study in UK, Danish and US healthcare data sources, patients initiated empagliflozin or a DPP-4 inhibitor between August 2014 and August 2019, were aged ≥18 years, and had ≥12 months' continuous health plan enrolment. Incidence rates by exposure and incidence rate ratios, adjusted for propensity-score deciles, were calculated.

RESULTS

In total, 64 599 empagliflozin initiators and 203 315 DPP-4 inhibitor initiators were included. There was an increased risk [pooled adjusted incidence rate ratios (95% confidence interval)] of DKA [2.19 (1.74-2.76)] and decreased risks of ALI [0.77 (0.50-1.19) in patients without predisposing conditions of liver disease; 0.70 (0.56-0.88) in all patients] and AKI [0.54 (0.41-0.73)]. In the UK data, there was an increased risk of GI [males: 4.04 (3.46-4.71); females: 3.24 (2.81-3.74)] and decreased risks of CKD [0.53 (0.43-0.65)] and severe complications of UTI [0.51 (0.37-0.72)]. The results were generally consistent in subgroup and sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with DDP-4 inhibitor use, empagliflozin use was associated with increased risks of DKA and GI and decreased risks of ALI, AKI, CKD and severe complications of UTI. These associations are consistent with previous studies and known class effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, including renoprotective effects and beneficial effects on alanine aminotransferase levels.

Is there any robust evidence showing that SGLT2 inhibitor use predisposes to acute kidney injury?

A novel class of oral glucose lowering drugs, sodium-glucose co-transporter type 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), has shown additional beneficial effects on body weight, serum uric acid levels, blood pressure, and cardiac and renal function. Conflicting data have been published regarding the potential risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) when using SGLT2is. Aim of this manuscript was to review the current literature on this issue. SGLT2is induce a mild acute decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate, attributed to the effect of proximal tubular natriuresis on tubuloglomerular feedback through increased macula densa sodium delivery, leading to afferent arteriole vasoconstriction and reduced intraglomerular pressure. This functional effect with a subsequent rise in serum creatinine fulfills the creatinine-based criteria for AKI, as defined in clinical practice and trial settings. Other proposed potential mechanisms as to how SGLT2is lead to AKI include osmotic diuresis leading to volume depletion, increased urinary uric acid levels, intratubular oxidative stress, local inflammation and tubular injury. Despite the warning published by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016 about a potential risk of AKI and the report of some clinical cases of AKI after treatment with SGLT2is, large observational real-life retrospective studies, randomized controlled trials and propensity-matched analyses of data from clinical practice unambiguously demonstrate that SGLT2is are safe for the kidney and do not predispose to AKI. In conclusion, while we can probably stop worrying about AKI risk when using SGLT2is, the question whether these agents should be withheld in the presence of clinical situations at high risk for AKI remains unaddressed.

Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Patients on SGLT2 Inhibitors Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: A Propensity-Matched Analysis

Background

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a common complication of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Data regarding the influence of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor on the CI-AKI incidence and renal outcomes of patients undergoing PCI are limited. This study aimed to examine the real-world risk of CI-AKI in SGLT2 inhibitor users undergoing PCI.

Methods

We used longitudinal data from the medical records of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. We selected SGLT inhibitor users and nonusers [patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) without SGLT2 inhibitor prescription] undergoing PCI. We determined CI-AKI by the ESUR (European Society of Urogenital Radiology, AKI_ESUR) and KDIGO definition (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes, AKI_KDIGO). We performed 1:1 nearest-neighbor propensity matching and calculated unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted ORs (aORs; accounting for covariates poorly balanced) for AKI in primary and sensitivity analyses. We compared the renal function indicators in users and nonusers at 24, 48, and 72 h post-PCI.

Results

We identified 242 SGLT2 inhibitor users and 242 nonusers in the cohort. The unadjusted ORs of CI-AKI_ESUR were 63% lower in users [OR: 0.37 (95% CI: 0.18–0.68); P = 0.01], which was unchanged [aOR: 0.37 (95% CI: 0.19–0.67); P < 0.01] post adjustment. These estimates did not qualitatively change across several sensitivity analyses. There was no significant difference in urea nitrogen, creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values between the two groups before PCI, and at 24 h, while the creatinine (48 and 72 h post-PCI) and CyC (24 and 48 h post-PCI) were significantly lower than those in the nonuser group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our findings do not suggest an increased risk of CI-AKI associated with SGLT2 inhibitor use in patients with CAD and T2D undergoing PCI.

Comparison of effects of Empagliflozin and Linagliptin on renal function and glycaemic control: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial

Background

This study aimed to compare the effects of Linagliptin and Empagliflozin on renal function and glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Method

We conducted a randomized, double-blind, parallel trial on patients aged 30 to 80 years with type 2 DM and HbA1c ≤ 9%, regardless of background medical therapy, to compare the effects of Empagliflozin and Linagliptin on albuminuria, FBS, HbA1c, and eGFR. Participants were given the mentioned drugs for 12 weeks. Statistical analysis was performed using appropriate tests in IBM™SPSS® statistics software for windows version 24.

Results

In total, 60 patients participated in the study, thirty patients in each group. The mean age of participants was 56.8 (SD = 8.15) in the Empagliflozin group and 60.9 (SD = 7.22) in the Linagliptin group. Before the intervention, FBS, HbA1C, and albuminuria values were significantly higher in the Empagliflozin group than those in the Linagliptin group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between groups regarding eGFR (P = 0.271). Changes in the FBS, HbA1C, and eGFR were not significantly different between groups (P > 0.05), but there was more decrease in albuminuria in the Empagliflozin group compared to the Linagliptin group (P = 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.98).

Conclusions

Regardless of baseline albuminuria, eGFR, or HbA1c, Empagliflozin 10 mg daily significantly reduced albuminuria at 12 weeks compared to Linagliptin 5 mg daily in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Trial registration

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT20200722048176N1. Registered 3 August 2020.

MicroRNA-122-5p ameliorates tubular injury in diabetic nephropathy via FIH-1/HIF-1α pathway

Diabetes kidney disease (DKD) affects approximately one-third of diabetes patients, however, the specific molecular mechanism of DKD remains unclear, and there is still a lack of effective therapies. Here, we demonstrated a significant increase of microRNA-122-5p (miR-122-5p) in renal tubular cells in STZ induced diabetic nephropathy (DN) mice. Moreover, inhibition of miR-122-5p led to increased cell death and serve tubular injury and promoted DN progression following STZ treatment in mice, whereas supplementation of miR-122-5p mimic had kidney protective effects in this model. In addition, miR-122-5p suppressed the expression of factor inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (FIH-1) in vitro models of DN. microRNA target reporter assay further verified FIH-1 as a direct target of miR-122-5p. Generally, FIH-1 inhibits the activity of HIF-1α. Our in vitro study further indicated that overexpression of HIF-1α by transfection of HIF-1α plasmid reduced tubular cell death, suggesting a protective role of HIF-1α in DN. Collectively, these findings may unveil a novel miR-122-5p/FIH-1/HIF-1α pathway which can attenuate the DN progression.