DPP-4 INHIBITOR THERAPY IN PATIENTS AFTER PANCREATIC TRANSPLANT.

OBJECTIVE: Management of new onset hyperglycemia after pancreas transplantation (PT) is not well studied. There is a lack of information on effective and safe management options for hyperglycemia after PT. We tested the hypothesis that early intervention for hyperglycemia using a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor prolongs insulin-free graft function in patients after PT. METHODS: Twenty-six patients who developed noninsulin-dependent hyperglycemia at least 1 year after PT met the inclusion criteria for this retrospective chart review. Sitagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor, was a commonly used therapy for hyperglycemia after PT due to its wide availability and coverage. The standard therapy group included patients who did not receive any oral or noninsulin injection therapy until insulin was clearly required to control hyperglycemia. The intervention group included patients who had received sitagliptin soon after hyperglycemia developed. The median follow-up period was 45 months. The time to hyperglycemia from 1 year after PT and time to insulin requirement after hyperglycemia development were compared between these 2 groups. RESULTS: The time to hyperglycemia after PT was not different between the groups, but the time to insulin requirement was significantly longer in the intervention group compared with the standard therapy group (P<.001). After adjusting for body mass index (BMI), the difference remained significant (P<.001). CONCLUSION: Early treatment of hyperglycemia after PT with a DPP-4 inhibitor such as sitagliptin prolongs the time to insulin therapy compared with a standard observation approach. Prospective studies are needed to further investigate this observation.

Incidental papillary thyroid carcinoma: clinical characteristics and prognostic factors among patients with Graves' disease and euthyroid goiter, Cleveland Clinic experience.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence and clinical significance of incidental differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in patients with Graves' disease (GD) remain uncertain. Thyroid stimulating antibody (TSI Ab)-titers were thought to be responsible for the potentially increased incidence or aggressiveness of PTC in that setting. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of incidental DTC among patients with GD and euthyroid goiter (EG), to assess the ability of TSI to predict DTC in GD and to investigate the clinical features that may predict incidental DTC in GD and EG. METHODS: Two hundred and forty eight patients with EG and 245 patients with GD patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy at our institution between 2005 and 2013 were retrospectively selected from our data base. An analysis of incidentally discovered DTC was conducted comparing GD group with EG group. RESULTS: Incidental micro-papillary thyroid cancer (MPTC) was found in 28% in EG group, as compared to 26% in GD group. PTC Patients with GD were significantly younger (44 vs 59) and less likely to have compressive symptoms than with EG before surgery (p<0.001). In GD group, patients with MPTC were also significantly older (p=0.009) than those without, were more likely to have symptomatic goiter (p<0.001), and to have a nodular disease (p<0.001). TSI ab titer did not predict MPTC in GD group (The AUC curve was 0.55 (95% CI: 0.46, 0.64). Among patients with GD and incidental MPTC, 58% of patients had at least one nodule. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of incidental DTC in GD is comparable to EG. Each is increased compared to general population. Age of presentation of PTC was significantly lower in GD suggesting an increased risk for MPTC in GD. Nodule size greater than 1cm predicted incidental DTC whereas TSI ab titers and disease duration did not.

Rituximab-induced bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia.

Rituximab-induced lung disease (R-ILD) is a rare entity that should be considered in patients treated with rituximab who present with dyspnea, fever, and cough, but no clear evidence of infection. A variety of pathologic findings have been described in this setting. Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is the most common clinicopathologic diagnosis, followed by interstitial pneumonitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with corticosteroids are essential as discussed by Wagner et al. (2007). Here we present a case of an 82-year-old man who was treated with rituximab for recurrent marginal zone lymphoma. After the first infusion of rituximab, he reported fever, chills, and dyspnea. On computed tomography imaging, he was found to have bilateral patchy infiltrates, consistent with BOOP on biopsy. In our patient, BOOP was caused by single-agent rituximab, in the first week after the first infusion of rituximab. We reviewed the relevant literature to clarify the different presentations and characteristics of R-ILD and raise awareness of this relatively overlooked entity.