Favorable glycemic response after pancreatoduodenectomy in both patients with pancreatic cancer and patients with non-pancreatic cancer

Bridging the Gap: Pancreas Tissue Slices From Organ and Tissue Donors for the Study of Diabetes Pathogenesis

Over the last two decades, increased availability of human pancreatic tissues has allowed for major expansions in our understanding of islet biology in health and disease. Indeed, studies of fixed and frozen pancreatic tissues, as well as efforts using viable isolated islets obtained from organ donors, have provided significant insights toward our understanding of diabetes. However, the procedures associated with islet isolation result in distressed cells that have been removed from any surrounding influence. The pancreas tissue slice technology was developed as an in situ approach to overcome certain limitations associated with studies on isolated islets or fixed tissue. In this Perspective, we discuss the value of this novel platform and review how pancreas tissue slices, within a short time, have been integrated in numerous studies of rodent and human islet research. We show that pancreas tissue slices allow for investigations in a less perturbed organ tissue environment, ranging from cellular processes, over peri-islet modulations, to tissue interactions. Finally, we discuss the considerations and limitations of this technology in its future applications. We believe the pancreas tissue slices will help bridge the gap between studies on isolated islets and cells to the systemic conditions by providing new insight into physiological and pathophysiological processes at the organ level.

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Human pancreas tissue slices represent a novel platform to study human islet biology in close to physiological conditions. Complementary to established technologies, such as isolated islets, single cells, and histological sections, pancreas tissue slices help bridge our understanding of islet physiology and pathophysiology from single cell to intact organ. Diverse sources of viable human pancreas tissue, each with distinct characteristics to be considered, are available to use in tissue slices for the study of diabetes pathogenesis.

Diabetes Mellitus in Pancreatic Cancer: A Distinct Approach to Older Subjects with New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with a very poor prognosis, with near-identical incidence and mortality. According to the World Health Organization Globocan Database, the estimated number of new cases worldwide will rise by 70% between 2020 and 2040. There are no effective screening methods available so far, even for high-risk individuals. The prognosis of PDAC, even at its early stages, is still mostly unsatisfactory. Impaired glucose metabolism is present in about 3/4 of PDAC cases.

METHODS

Available literature on pancreatic cancer and diabetes mellitus was reviewed using a PubMed database. Data from a national oncology registry (on PDAC) and information from a registry of healthcare providers (on diabetes mellitus and a number of abdominal ultrasound investigations) were obtained.

RESULTS

New-onset diabetes mellitus in subjects older than 60 years should be an incentive for a prompt and detailed investigation to exclude PDAC. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, diabetes mellitus associated with chronic non-malignant diseases of the exocrine pancreas, and PDAC-associated type 3c diabetes mellitus are the most frequent types. Proper differentiation of particular types of new-onset diabetes mellitus is a starting point for a population-based program. An algorithm for subsequent steps of the workup was proposed.

CONCLUSIONS

The structured, well-differentiated, and elaborately designed approach to the elderly with a new onset of diabetes mellitus could improve the current situation in diagnostics and subsequent poor outcomes of therapy of PDAC.

Diabetogenic liver metastasis from pancreatic cancer: a case report

BACKGROUND

Although new-onset diabetes has been described in up to 20% of patients with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer, reports regarding new-onset diabetes associated with newly developed liver metastasis from pancreatic cancer are limited.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 60-year-old man was diagnosed with pancreatic tail cancer without impaired glycemic control. A curative-intent distal pancreatectomy with adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy was performed. Two years after surgery, a high HbA1c concentration and solitary liver metastasis were identified on follow-up examination. Two major chemotherapy regimens, gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel and modified FOLFIRINOX, were sequentially administered to the patient; however, his carbohydrate 19-9 concentration continued to increase. Because the patient's glycemic control rapidly worsened in synchrony with the tumor growth, insulin therapy was initiated. Although the liver metastasis was refractory to chemotherapy, curative-intent left hepatectomy was performed because only one tumor remained. His impaired glycemic control improved immediately after surgery, and insulin therapy was terminated. When writing this report (2 years after hepatectomy), the patient was alive and recurrence-free.

CONCLUSIONS

New-onset diabetes appeared with the progression of metachronous liver metastasis from pancreatic cancer, without recurrence at any other site. The patient's diabetic state was improved by resection of the liver tumor, and liver metastasis itself was proven to have caused the glucometabolic disorder by increasing insulin resistance.

The Impact of Pancreatic Exocrine Diseases on the β-Cell and Glucose Metabolism-A Review with Currently Available Evidence

Pancreatic exocrine and endocrine dysfunctions often come together in the course of pancreatic diseases as interdependent manifestations of the same organ. However, the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional connection of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas are not fully understood. In this review, we aimed to synthetize the current knowledge regarding the effects of several exocrine pancreatic pathologies on the homeostasis of β-cells, with a special interest in the predisposition toward diabetes mellitus (DM). We focused on the following pancreatic exocrine diseases: chronic pancreatitis, acute pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, pancreatic resections, and autoimmune pancreatitis. We discuss the pathophysiologic mechanisms behind the impact on β-cell function and evolution into DM, as well as the associated risk factors in progression to DM, and we describe the most relevant and statistically significant findings in the literature. An early and correct diagnosis of DM in the setting of pancreatic exocrine disorders is of paramount importance for anticipating the disease's course and its therapeutical needs.

Glycemic variability in patients with gastrointestinal cancer: An integrative review

PURPOSE

Glycemic variability is associated with risks for adverse events in patients with cancer. Several studies have evaluated the presence and impact of hyperglycemia and/or hypoglycemia in patients with cancer; however, few studies have evaluated glycemic variability. The purpose of this integrative review of studies in patients with gastrointestinal cancers was to investigate the presence and methods of reporting glycemic variability during and following treatments.

METHODS

A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for publications between 1/1/1969 and 7/24/2019. Studies of patients with gastrointestinal cancer following surgery, during treatment, and <5 years following treatment were included and evaluated by cancer type and method of glucose and glycemic variability measurement.

RESULTS

Among 1526 patients with gastrointestinal cancer across 19 studies, gastric and pancreatic cancers were most prevalent. Timing of glucose testing and methods of analyzing glycemic variability varied. Most analyses used the standard deviation or interquartile range. Glycemic variability was more prevalent among patients with Type 2 Diabetes and among those with pancreatic cancer. In some patients glycemic variability remained notable > one year following surgery despite improvements in glycemic control.

CONCLUSION

Patients with gastrointestinal cancer experience glycemic variability during and up to one year following treatment. There was heterogeneity in methods related to timing of testing and reporting glycemic variability among the 19 studies in this review. Future investigations need to identify the presence and define the methods of measuring glycemic variability in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Hemoglobin A1c as a marker to stratify diabetes risk following pancreaticoduodenectomy

Background

Pancreatic cancer has been shown to cause diabetes mellitus, and diabetes mellitus has been shown to be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. The effect of pancreaticoduodenectomy on risk for development of diabetes mellitus is unclear. This study used hemoglobin A1c to determine the incidence of diabetes mellitus development following pancreaticoduodenectomy based on preoperative risk of diabetes mellitus.

Methods

Retrospective review of patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed with comparison of preoperative diabetes mellitus status and hemoglobin A1c with development of diabetes mellitus postoperatively. Risk ratios were calculated to determine the risk for diabetes mellitus development.

Results

Among 90 patients who met inclusion criteria, 26.7% developed new-onset or worsening diabetes mellitus following pancreaticoduodenectomy. Of those with hemoglobin A1c ≤ 5.6%, only 7.7% of patients developed diabetes mellitus. Patients at risk for diabetes mellitus preoperatively had 4.0 times greater risk for development of diabetes mellitus following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Conclusion

Hemoglobin A1c levels should be used to identify patients at risk for new-onset or worsening diabetes mellitus following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

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Preoperative hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a useful marker for predicting development of new-onset or worsening diabetes mellitus (DM) following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).

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Patients with HbA1c ≤ 5.6% are very unlikely to develop DM following PD.

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Patients at risk for DM (HbA1c 5.7%–6.4%) have a 4-fold greater risk for developing DM following PD than patients with HbA1c ≤ 5.6%.

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For patients who develop DM following PD, median time to diagnosis is 12 months.

Diabetes Mellitus in the Middle-Aged and Elderly Population (>45 Years) and Its Association With Pancreatic Cancer: An Updated Review

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and pancreatic cancer (PC) in the elderly are widely considered to be interrelated. New-onset diabetes (NOD) patients are considered a high-risk group for the development of PC within three years of diagnosis. We reviewed the literature to determine the pathophysiological association between DM and PC, which can help in the development of screening tests for early PC diagnosis in the elderly with NOD. We also studied the potential associations between them after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or pancreatic resection. We collected studies published in the last five years in PubMed that are relevant to DM and PC in the elderly. We mainly focused on the pathophysiology and intracellular mechanisms involved between NOD and PC. We illustrated the clinical signs and immunological and metabolic biomarkers that can be used to diagnose early PC in the elderly with NOD. In the 34 studies we reviewed, five showed that long-term diabetes mellitus (LTDM) increases the risk of PC. Six studies showed that NOD in the elderly is an early sign of PC. Fourteen studies proposed that clinical signs and biomarker levels should be used to determine the high-risk risk group for PC among NOD patients. Six studies reported that NOD is associated with the worst outcomes postoperatively, and three studies showed that patients developed DM after pancreatic resection. LTDM is considered an independent risk factor for PC development in the elderly. NOD is a consequence and maybe the only early presenting sign of PC. Screening protocols and tests should be used in clinical practice to determine the proportion of NOD patients who should undergo further testing for early diagnosis of PC. DM and PC are also co-related postoperatively and patients should be monitored for impaired glucose levels, overall survival, and mortality.

Metabolically phenotyped pancreatectomized patients as living donors for the study of islets in health and diabetes

Background

The availability of human pancreatic islets with characteristics closely resembling those present in vivo is instrumental for ex vivo studies in diabetes research.

Scope of review

In this review we propose metabolically phenotyped surgical patients as a novel source of pancreatic tissue for islet research. Laser Capture Microdissection from snap frozen surgical specimens is a relatively simple, reproducible and scalable method to isolate islets of highest purity for many types of “omics” analyses. Fresh pancreatic tissue slices enable the functional characterization of living islet cells in situ through dynamic experiments. Access to complete medical history and laboratory values for each donor offers the opportunity of direct correlations with different “omics” data and detailed metabolic profiling prior to pancreas surgery. Peripheral blood samples complete the picture of each patient and represent a platform for pursuit of biomarkers with uniquely comprehensive background information in regard to the donor's islet cells.

Major conclusions

Living donors provide the scientific community with a steady and abundant supply of excellent material to study islets closest to their in situ environment, thus advancing our understanding of their physiology in health and diseases.