Background: Recently, many patients with Kir6.2-related permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus (PNDM) have been successfully transferred from insulin therapy to sulfonylurea (SU) treatment. The long-term efficacy and safety of SU treatment in PNDM patients, however, have not yet been determined. Methods: We monitored glycemic control and the occurrence of potential side effects in 14 Kir6.2-related PNDM patients from Poland (median age, 12.0 years; range, 5–50 years) who were transferred to SU therapy at least 2 years ago. Three of the 14 patients were lost to follow-up, whereas for the remaining 11 individuals the median follow-up was 34 months (range, 27–51 months). Results: The initial reduction of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) after the switch to SU (approximately 3–6 months post-transfer) was 1.68% (range, 0.3–3.7%), and good metabolic control was maintained over the entire period of observation with an average HbA1c level of 6.0% (range, 5.3–6.7%) at the last visit. This was accompanied by a substantial drop in SU dose by 0.24 mg/kg, which constituted a 38.0% decrease. A rapid progression of retinal changes was observed in one patient, a 34-year-old woman at the beginning of the observation, with preexisting proliferative diabetic retinopathy. No causal relationship between these changes and SU treatment could be proven. Neither serious side effects nor progression of diabetes complications was observed in any other patients. No detrimental effect on growth in the observed minors was recorded. Conclusions: In summary, the switch from insulin therapy to SU treatment in PNDM related to KCNJ11 mutations was found to be an efficient and safe therapeutic method over a period of 34-month median follow-up. Although no serious side effects were associated with SU treatment, their use in Kir6.2 PNDM requires further attention, particularly in children, adolescents, and patients with advanced chronic diabetes complications.

Currently, the only effective method to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is social distancing. The lockdown measures during the epidemic may have an impact on the presentation of diabetes and may disturb metabolic control. In order to address the hypothesis that the COVID-19 lockdown affected the incidence rate (IR) of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the pediatric population of Lower Silesia and the patients' clinical status, the incidence of T1D during the COVID-19 pandemic was analyzed. Incidence estimates were obtained from the T1D pediatric registry for Lower Silesia which has been maintained since January 1, 2000. The observation was completed on April 30, 2020. A total of 1961 cases were diagnosed (1054 boys, 53.72%). An increase in the T1D IR was observed, from 10.43/100,000/year in 2000 to 22.06/100,000/year in 2019. The seasonality of T1D incidence was also observed, with the highest IR appearing in January and February. There were half as many cases of T1D in March and April 2020 as in the same months in 2019 (p > 0.05). Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) occurred in 31.75% of patients in years 2000-2019, comparably (p > 0.05) to 2020 (36.67% patients), including March and April (50% of patients). The duration of hyperglycemia symptoms was 20.2 ±25.4 days, which was comparable to 2020 (13.1 ±10.96 days; p = 0.1675) and March and April of 2020 (9.67 ±5.63 days; p = 0.0831). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level was 11.79 ±2.63%, which was comparable to March and April of 2020 (13.06 ±2.35%; p = 0.1171), while in all of 2020 it was 13.41 ±2.50% (p = 0.0003). The IR of T1D in Lower Silesian children in the months of the COVID-19 pandemic was comparable to previous years, while their clinical condition at the time of diagnosis was worse than in previous years.

The incidence of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is increasing; however, it is not clear whether this reflects an increase in the incidence of incidental or in that of non-incidentally (presurgically) discovered PTMC (IPTMC vs. NIPTMC). We assessed the incidence of IPTMC and NIPTMC over the past 9 years, to discern whether the increase in PTMC incidence is due to improved diagnostics or to a real increase in the incidence. We performed a retrospective chart review of 4327 patients who were consecutively admitted to and surgically treated for thyroid pathology at a single institution. As a main presurgical diagnostic test, all patients underwent ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (UG-FNAB). The analyzed time frame was divided into three equal periods (I: 2008–2010, II: 2011–2013, III: 2014–2016), and IPTMCs and NIPTMCs were assessed and compared in each period. We evaluated 393 (9.08%) patients with thyroid malignancy, of which 156 (3.60% of all thyroid tumors [TTs]; 39.69% of all thyroid cancers [TCs]) were diagnosed as PTMC. The prevalence of NIPTMC among all TCs increased from 16.66% in 2008 to 33.75% in 2016, while that of IPTMC decreased from 20.83% in 2008 to 13.75% in 2016. The incidence rates of NIPTMC and IPTMC in period III differed statistically significantly (p < 0.0001). The prevalence rate of NIPTMC in period III was higher than that in period II, yet comparable to that in period I (p = 0.0014; p = 0.2804, respectively). The prevalence of NIPTMC, rather than that of IPTMC, is escalating; this may be due to better presurgical diagnosis.

Klotho concentration may be considered as a prognostic factor in the development of chronic complications of diabetes. Moreover, decrease in sKlotho concentration may contribute to beta cell apoptosis and type 1 diabetes development. The aim of this study was to evaluate if sKlotho protein concentration in children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its correlation with classical risk factors of chronic complications of diabetes: dysglycemia and endothelial dysfunction.Material and methods: In a cross-section single center study the levels of soluble Klotho protein in 80 T1D (37 boys) and 34 healthy children (controls, 15 boys). Micro- and macroangiopathy were excluded and renal function was normal in all participants. Serum sKlotho, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and E-selectin levels were measured.Results: The concentration of sKlotho was lower in T1D than in the controls (2041.9 ± 1017.6 pg/mL vs. 2790.3 ± 1423.9 pg/mL, p=0.0113). sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and E-selectin concentrations were comparable in patients and controls. In T1D, sKlotho was not correlated with the duration of diabetes. Klotho and E-selectin were correlated with HbA1c (r=-0.31, P=0.0066 and r=0.25, P=0.0351, respectively), but not with AVBG and blood glucose SD. Correlations of sKlotho with total cholesterol (r=0.31, P=0.0129), HDL-cholesterol (r=0.43, P=0.0011) and LDL-cholesterol (r=0.28, P=0.0412), but not with triglycerides, were found. Likewise, Klotho was not correlated with sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and E-selectin concentrations.Conclusions: This study reports the significantly lower level of s-Klotho in children with type 1 diabetes, correlated with HbA1c and HDL cholesterol, but not with the adhesion molecules concentrations nor the duration of the disease. Negative correlation between the levels of HbA1c and soluble Klotho may suggest its possible involvement in the development of chronic diabetes complications.

The impact of obesity on kidney injury and the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is well documented. Unfortunately, the early stages of CKD are asymptomatic, leading to a delayed diagnosis and a worse prognosis. There is a need for more sensitive indicators of kidney damage than those currently used. We aimed to assess the usefulness of serum t-CAF, urinary netrin-1, α-GST, π-GST, calbindin, and calprotectin as biomarkers of early kidney damage in obese children and to investigate the relationship between these indicators and the degree of obesity. A total of 125 simple obese, normoalbuminuric children and 33 non-obese children as controls were selected. Patients were divided into 2 subgroups according to SDS BMI (I: 2 ≤ 4, II: >4). Serum t-CAF was significantly higher in the obese group compared to the controls, as were urinary α-GST, netrin-1, π-GST, and calprotectin. No difference was found between the two obese groups. In normoalbuminuric obese children and adolescents without significant metabolic disorders, serum t-CAF may be a new biomarker for the early detection of renal dysfunction, and urinary netrin-1, α-GST, π-GST, and calprotectin may be better indicators for the detection of early tubular damage, independent of the severity of obesity.