Comparison of Metabolic, Lifestyle and Mental Health Parameters in People with Diabetes and Relatives with and without Family Support.

Purpose: To analyze and compare metabolic, lifestyle and mental health parameters in relatives and people-with-T2DM (PDM) with and without support. Patients and Methods: We included 160 patients with <5 years of diagnosis of T2DM, without disabling complications, and non-smokers, attending a multidisciplinary program for diabetes control, and their accompanying relatives. If the patients or relatives abandoned the program, we contacted them and asked to take laboratory tests and answer surveys regarding anxiety, depression, and perception of their family support. Variables distribution was assessed with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. We used ANOVA or Kruskal Wallis Tests, according to variable distribution. Frequencies and percentages are used for categorical values and analyzed with a chi-square test. We separated the participants in four groups: relatives with and without support and PDM with and without support. Results: We included 160 participants, age 51±10, and 54.3% women. Total cholesterol (188±36 vs 204±43 vs 170±34 vs 181±35 mg/dL, p=0.001), LDL-cholesterol (113±35 vs 125±27 vs 101 ±30 vs 109±29, p=0.008), and non-HDL cholesterol (143±32 vs 154 ±30 vs 129±33 vs 135±35 mg/dL, p=0.010) were higher in the group without support. Although patients without family support had lower values, they did not achieve metabolic goals. Weight (75±17 vs 77±19 vs 74.2±10.5 vs 90.2±17.3 kg) and body mass index (28.9±4.8 vs 30.1±4.7 vs 27.4±3.3 vs 33±4.3 kg/m2) were higher in PDM without family support (p<0.001 for both). Conclusion: Support in PDM and their families is important in metabolic control. However, raising awareness among family members to screen for diabetes and changes in lifestyle are points to improve. Including the evaluation of social and family support will allow a more complete assessment to identify barriers to achieving goals.

Human Dendritic Cells: Ontogeny and Their Subsets in Health and Disease.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a type of cells derived from bone marrow that represent 1% or less of the total hematopoietic cells of any lymphoid organ or of the total cell count of the blood or epithelia. Dendritic cells comprise a heterogeneous population of cells localized in different tissues where they act as sentinels continuously capturing antigens to present them to T cells. Dendritic cells are uniquely capable of attracting and activating naïve CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells to initiate and modulate primary immune responses. They have the ability to coordinate tolerance or immunity depending on their activation status, which is why they are also considered as the orchestrating cells of the immune response. The purpose of this review is to provide a general overview of the current knowledge on ontogeny and subsets of human dendritic cells as well as their function and different biological roles.