Autoimmune diseases are life-threatening disorders that cause increasing disability over time. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases arise when immune stimuli override mechanisms of self-tolerance. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that protein glycosylation is substantially altered in autoimmune disease development, but the mechanisms by which glycans trigger these autoreactive immune responses are still largely unclear. In this study, we found that presence of microbial-associated mannose structures at the surface of the kidney triggers the recognition of DC-SIGN–expressing γδ T cells, inducing a pathogenic interleukin-17a (IL-17a)–mediated autoimmune response. Mice lacking Mgat5 , which have a higher abundance of mannose structures in the kidney, displayed increased γδ T cell infiltration into the kidney that was associated with spontaneous development of lupus in older mice. N -acetylglucosamine supplementation, which promoted biosynthesis of tolerogenic branched N-glycans in the kidney, was found to inhibit γδ T cell infiltration and control disease development. Together, this work reveals a mannose–γδ T cell–IL-17a axis in SLE immunopathogenesis and highlights glycometabolic reprogramming as a therapeutic strategy for autoimmune disease treatment.

Aims: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is highly prevalent during hospitalization of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed to assess the impact of AKI and its severity and duration on the risk of hypoglycaemia in hospitalized patients with T2D. Methods: Retrospective cohort analysis of patients with T2D, admitted at a University Hospital in 2018–2019. AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine by ≥ 0.3 mg/dl (48 h) or ≥ 1.5 times baseline (7 days), and hypoglycaemia as blood glucose concentration < 70 mg/dl. Patients with chronic kidney disease stage ≥ 4 were excluded. We registered 239 hospitalizations with AKI and randomly selected 239 without AKI (control). Multiple logistic regression was used to adjust for confounding factors and ROC curve analysis to determine a cutoff for AKI duration. Results: The risk of hypoglycaemia was higher in the AKI group (crude OR 3.6, 95%CI 1.8–9.6), even after adjusting for covariates (OR 4.2, 95%CI 1.8–9.6). Each day of AKI duration was associated with a 14% increase in the risk of hypoglycaemia (95%CI 1.1–1.2), and a cutoff of 5.5 days of AKI duration was obtained for increased risk of hypoglycaemia and mortality. AKI severity was also associated with mortality, but showed no significant association with hypoglycaemia. Patients with hypoglycaemia had 4.4 times greater risk of mortality (95%CI 2.4–8.2). Conclusions: AKI increased the risk of hypoglycaemia during hospitalization of patients with T2D, and its duration was the main risk factor. These results highlight the need for specific protocols to avoid hypoglycaemia and its burden in patients with AKI.

Obesity is defined as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat and it is currently one of the most concerning public health issues, as it is related to a wide range of serious diseases and disorders. The study of the causes of obesity is multifactorial, and its diagnosis requires specific methods. Its management is complex, and it is crucial that it is handled appropriately, and its primary focus should be on prevention through lifestyle changes. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of overweight/obesity in adolescents of both genders, aged 10 to 12 years, from different geographical environments (rural and urban), as well as to identify the underlying risk factors related to the respective obesity rates, namely: family environment, eating habits, and physical exercise. An observational, cross-sectional study in a sample of 129 adolescents aged 10 to 12 years was conducted. Participants of both genders from rural and urban environments were included in this study. A questionnaire was completed on eating habits and physical activity, focusing on the number of daily meals, meal composition, and sedentary lifestyle habits. An anthropometric assessment was also performed, including weight, height, skinfolds, waist circumference, arm circumference, and percentage of lean mass and body fat, using bioelectrical impedance analysis. In the rural environment, the obesity rate was 16.9%, with 26.8% being either overweight or obese; whereas in the urban environment, these rates were respectively 16.7% and 33.4%. Living in a rural environment was not an independent predictor of being overweight or obesity, p = 0.581, or for increased percentage of body fat, p = 0.790. In contrast, being 12 years old, eating high-calorie foods four times a week or less, and having at least one obese parent were predictors of being overweight or obesity. Being 12 years old was also a predictor of gaining moderate to high body fat. Adolescents’ residence in a rural or urban environment does not affect the occurrence of being overweight, obesity or high body fat. Paternal obesity was an important predictor of obesity in children. Obese fathers tended to serve higher calorie meals to their children.