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Pancreatology 2021 Jun 5. Epub 2021 Jun 5.

Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China. Electronic address:

Background/objectives: Enucleation is an effective surgical method to treat pancreatic insulinoma, however, the incidence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) is high. We aim to investigate the risk factors for CR-POPF which have not been well characterized and develop effective methods to prevent CR-POPF after enucleation.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 161 patients diagnosed with insulinoma from June 2016 to July 2020 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Read More

Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Department of Physiology, grid.134563.6University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States.

The islets of Langerhans of the pancreas are the primary endocrine organ responsible for regulating whole body glucose homeostasis. The use of isolated primary islets for research development and training requires organ resection, careful digestion and isolation of the islets from non-endocrine tissue. This process is time consuming, expensive and requires substantial expertise. Read More

AACE Clin Case Rep 2021 Mar-Apr;7(2):153-157. Epub 2020 Dec 28.

Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, McGill University Health Centre-Glen Site, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal.

Objective: Insulinomas are rare, life-threatening pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Surgical removal continues to be the treatment of choice, yet it is associated with considerable risk of morbidity. Here, we describe our patient with insulinoma who was successfully treated with radiofrequency ablation. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2021 Jun 2. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Abstract: Endocrine mucin-producing sweat gland carcinoma (EMPSGC) is a rare low-grade adnexal malignancy with a predilection for the eyelids of elderly White women, which is associated with invasive mucinous carcinoma with endocrine features in one-third of cases. EMPSGC is characterized by the presence of neuroendocrine differentiation and mucin production. However, EMPSGC displays a variety of architectural patterns including solid, cribriform, papillary, and cystic growth. Read More

Vet Anaesth Analg 2021 May 13. Epub 2021 May 13.

North Downs Specialist Referrals, Bletchingley, UK.

Endocr Connect 2021 Jun 1. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Q Shu, Department of Obstetrics, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.

Background: Increased insulin production and secretion by pancreatic β-cells are important for ensuring the high insulin demand during gestation. However, the underlying mechanism of β-cell adaptation during gestation or in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unclear. Oxytocin is an important physiological hormone in gestation and delivery, and it also contributes to the maintenance of β-cell function. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 May 27;22(11). Epub 2021 May 27.

Institute of Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, Stefanowskiego 4/10, 90-924 Lodz, Poland.

Insulin plays a significant role in carbohydrate homeostasis as the blood glucose lowering hormone. Glucose-induced insulin secretion (GSIS) is augmented by glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), a gastrointestinal peptide released in response to ingesting nutriments. The secretion of insulin and GLP-1 is mediated by the binding of nutrients to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) expressed by pancreatic β-cells and enteroendocrine cells, respectively. Read More

Pol J Pathol 2021 ;72(1):11-22

Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

Discriminating thyroid and parathyroid lesions may sometimes pose a diagnostic difficulty. Medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs) display various cytologic and architectural features that resemble other thyroid and even rarely some parathyroid neoplasms. Moreover, some MTCs may have negative serum calcitonin, rendering them difficult to diagnose. Read More

J Obes Metab Syndr 2021 Jun 1. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Center for Pediatric Research in Obesity and Metabolism, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Background: The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-glucose response curves (GRCs; incessant increase, monophasic, and biphasic) reflect insulin sensitivity and β-cell function, being worse in the former and superior in the latter. Here, we examined if the OGTT-GRC pattern is worse in obese antibody (glutamic acid decarboxylase 65-kDa [GAD65] and insulinoma-associated protein-2 [IA2])-positive (Ab) vs. -negative (Ab) youth clinically diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (CDX-T2D). Read More

Front Pharmacol 2021 15;12:570835. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Division of Cardiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.

Dipeptidylpeptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i's) are considered to be safe for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, little is known about drug-drug interactions between DPP-4i's and concurrent medications. Data on patients using DPP-4i's for T2DM during 2011-2017 were retrieved from Chang Gung Research database provided by Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Read More

Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2021 May 24:e13693. Epub 2021 May 24.

Department of Experimental Diabetology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558, Nuthetal, Germany.

Aim: MicroRNAs play an important role in the maintenance of cellular functions by fine-tuning gene expression levels. The aim of the current study was to identify genetically caused changes in microRNA expression which associate with islet dysfunction in diabetic mice.

Methods: To identify novel microRNAs involved in islet dysfunction, transcriptome and miRNome analyses were performed in islets of obese, diabetes-susceptible NZO and diabetes-resistant B6-ob/ob mice and results combined with quantitative trait loci (QTL) and functional in vitro analysis. Read More

Clin Case Rep 2021 May 19;9(5):e04118. Epub 2021 May 19.

Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Medicine Jichi Medical University Shimotsuke Japan.

Long-acting somatostatin analogs, including lanreotide slow release (LAN-SR) and octreotide long-acting release (OCT-LAR), can improve hypoglycemia in insulinoma. LAN-SR may be more beneficial in some patients with insulinoma than OCT-LAR. Read More

Endocrine 2021 May 22. Epub 2021 May 22.

Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital Affiliated to Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510220, Guangdong, China.

Purpose: An increasing number of studies have shown that insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) is a robust marker for the diagnosis of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NEN). The overall diagnostic accuracy of INSM1 for GEP-NEN remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to estimate the diagnostic value of INSM1 for GEP-NEN through a meta-analysis. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 May 19;14(5). Epub 2021 May 19.

Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Luzerner Kantonsspital, Luzern, Switzerland

A 55-year-old patient had spent 12 years with unexplained seizures, initially diagnosed as epilepsy and then as a psychiatric disorder. When she was admitted with hypoglycaemia, a fasting test was performed showing blood sugar levels as low as 1 mmol/L with symptoms of neuroglycopenia. Insulinoma was suspected and an MRI showed a large tumour in the tail region of the pancreas. Read More

Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2021 Mar 19;42(1):43-47. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

Department of Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.

Objective: Insulinoma is a rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor that can spontaneously produce excess endogenous insulin, resulting in recurrent and serious hypoglycemia. Patients with insulinoma always have intermittent neuroglycopenia, which has been frequently reported as being misdiagnosed as epilepsy. In this report, we analyzed the clinical data of patients with confirmed insulinoma who had ever been misdiagnosed to have epilepsy. Read More

Glycobiology 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sahlgrenska academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Proteoglycans (PGs) are proteins with glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains, such as chondroitin sulfate (CS) or heparan sulfate (HS), attached to serine residues. We have earlier shown that prohormones can carry CS, constituting a novel class of PGs. The mapping of GAG modifications of proteins in endocrine cells may thus assist us in delineating possible roles of PGs in endocrine cellular physiology. Read More

Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021 Jul 12;532:111314. Epub 2021 May 12.

Cell Signaling Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, 731 235, India. Electronic address:

Lipid mediated pancreatic β-cell dysfunction during Type 2 diabetes is known to be regulated by activation of TLR4 (Toll Like Receptor 4) and NF-κB (Nuclear factor kappa B). Recently we have reported that MIN6 cells (mouse insulinoma cells) secrete fetuin-A on stimulation by palmitate that aggravates β-cell dysfunction, but the mechanism involved in-vivo has not been demonstrated and thus remained unclear. Here we attempted to dissect the role of palmitate and fetuin-A on insulin secretion using high fat diet (HFD) fed mice model. Read More

HPB (Oxford) 2021 Apr 27. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

Department of Digestive, Hepato-biliary and Endocrine Surgery, Cochin Hospital, APHP, 75014 Paris, France; Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France. Electronic address:

Background: This paper reports our experience of the perioperative management of patients with sporadic, non-malignant, pancreatic insulinoma.

Methods: A retrospective monocentric cohort study was performed from January 1989 to July 2019, including all the patients who had been operated on for pancreatic insulinoma. The preoperative work-up, surgical management, and postoperative outcome were analyzed. Read More

Histochem Cell Biol 2021 May 9. Epub 2021 May 9.

Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism; Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Suite E625, M/C 640, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.

J Neuroendocrinol 2021 May 6:e12974. Epub 2021 May 6.

Section on Molecular Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health - Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Cyclic AMP activation of the Rap-Braf-MEK-ERK pathway after signalling initiated by the neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP), via the G -protein coupled receptor (G PCR) PAC1, occurs uniquely through the neuritogenic cAMP sensor Rap guanine nucleotide exchange factor 2 (NCS-RapGEF2) in Neuroscreen-1 (NS-1) neuroendocrine cells. We examined the expression of other Family B G PCRs in this cell line and assessed cAMP elevation and neuritogenesis after treatment with their cognate peptide ligands. Exposure of NS-1 cells to the VIPR1/2 agonist vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, or the GLP1R agonist exendin-4, did not induce neuritogenesis, or elevation of cAMP, presumably as a result of insufficient receptor protein expression. Read More

J Surg Case Rep 2021 Apr 29;2021(4):rjab121. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Surgery Department and Transplant Center, JFM CU, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin (JFM CU), Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.

Insulinoma is a rare functional neuroendocrine tumor of pancreas. The only recommended treatment is surgical removal. We present a case of a 46-year-old female patient who underwent the enucleation of insulinoma localized nearby pancreatic main duct after preoperative endoscopic insertion of pancreatic stent. Read More

Metabolites 2021 Apr 30;11(5). Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia.

Insulin, a vital hormone for glucose homeostasis is produced by pancreatic beta-cells and when secreted, stimulates the uptake and storage of glucose from the blood. In the pancreas, insulin is stored in vesicles termed insulin secretory granules (ISGs). In Type 2 diabetes (T2D), defects in insulin action results in peripheral insulin resistance and beta-cell compensation, ultimately leading to dysfunctional ISG production and secretion. Read More

N Z Vet J 2021 Jul 4;69(4):234-239. Epub 2021 May 4.

Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

Aims: To compare survival in dogs with recurrent or metastatic insulinomas that were treated with palliative therapy, alone or in combination with toceranib phosphate and to assess tolerability of the combined therapy in dogs.

Materials And Methods: Dogs diagnosed with insulinoma were retrospectively identified in the records of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Complutense (Madrid, Spain). Diagnosis of insulinoma was based on clinical signs of hypoglycaemia, concentrations in serum of glucose <3. Read More

Clin Case Rep 2021 Apr 16;9(4):1991-1998. Epub 2021 Feb 16.

Division of Metabolism and Biosystemic Science Department of Medicine Asahikawa Medical University Asahikawa Japan.

The diagnosis of insulinoma in perinatal women can be difficult, as hypoglycemic symptoms may be masked by pregnancy-associated insulin resistance. In addition, when multiple insulinomas are observed, it is necessary to consider the possibility not only of MEN1, but also of insulinomatosis. Read More

Endocr Connect 2021 May 19;10(5):534-542. Epub 2021 May 19.

Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.

Objective: The most common coexisting organ-specific autoimmune disease in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). However, there have been few clinical reports based on a large population about the prevalence of zinc transporter 8 autoantibody (ZnT8A) and other islet autoantibodies in AITD patients. We aimed to explore the presence of islet autoantibodies, ZnT8A, glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA) and insulinoma-associated antigen 2 autoantibodies (IA-2A) compared with thyroid autoantibodies, thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TGAb) and thyrotropin receptor autoantibodies (TRAb) in patients with Graves' disease (GD), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and T1DM patients with AITD. Read More

J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2021 Apr 27. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.

Purpose: In patients with metastatic functional gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs), it is unknown what degree of tumor reduction is required to eliminate hormonal symptoms. We aimed to reduce hormonal symptoms derived from advanced GEP-NENs by efficient minimal intervention, constructing a hormonal tumor map of liver metastases.

Methods: Between 2013 and 2019, we treated 12 insulinoma or gastrinoma patients with liver metastases. Read More

Mol Clin Oncol 2021 Jun 3;14(6):111. Epub 2021 Apr 3.

Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET) cases are increasing; however, the treatment indication and procedure remain unestablished. The present study evaluated the indication, feasibility and safety of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) with our technique for PNET. A total of 13 patients with insulinoma and nonfunctional PNET <2 cm in diameter who underwent LDP and 13 patients with any size of PNET who underwent open distal pancreatectomy (ODP) between October 2009 and June 2019 were retrospectively reviewed and compared. Read More

Saudi Med J 2021 May;42(5):578

Faculty of Medicine Assiut University, Egypt.

Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2021 Apr 24;64:102240. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Endocrine Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 47000, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.

Introduction: Insulinoma is a functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor primarily leading due to hypoglycemia due to hypersecretion of insulin. This case illustrates the real challenges faced in the detection of an occult insulinoma, which resulted in a protracted course of the disease.

Case Presentation: A 33-year-old female presented with recurrent hypoglycemia. Read More

Laryngoscope 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Pathology, Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Objective: Chromogranin (CHG), synaptophysin (Syn), and CD56 are generally used in a panel to support diagnoses of laryngeal neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). However, the absence of expression of these markers does not completely exclude the diagnosis. INSM1 is a novel marker that is considered sufficiently sensitive and specific for NE differentiation. Read More