Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), Receptor for AGEs, Diabetes, and Bone: Review of the Literature.

Diabetes compromises bone cell metabolism and function, resulting in increased risk of fragility fracture. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) interact with the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) and can make a meaningful contribution to bone cell metabolism and/or alter function. Searches in PubMed using the key words "advanced glycation end-product," "RAGE," "sRAGE," "bone," and "diabetes" were made to explain some of the clinical outcomes of diabetes in bone metabolism through the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. All published clinical studies were included in tables. The AGE-RAGE signaling pathway participates in diabetic complications, including diabetic osteopathy. Some clinical results in diabetic patients, such as reduced bone density, suppressed bone turnover markers, and bone quality impairment, could be potentially due to AGE-RAGE signaling consequences. However, the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway has some helpful roles in the bone, including an increase in osteogenic function. Soluble RAGE (sRAGE), as a ligand decoy, may increase in either conditions of RAGE production or destruction, and then it cannot always reflect the AGE-RAGE signaling. Recombinant sRAGE can block the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway but is associated with some limitations, such as accessibility to AGEs, an increase in other RAGE ligands, and a long half-life (24 hours), which is associated with losing the beneficial effect of AGE/RAGE. As a result, sRAGE is not a helpful marker to assess activity of the RAGE signaling pathway. The recombinant sRAGE cannot be translated into clinical practice due to its limitations.

Delivery of Euthyroid Baby following Hyperthyroidism in Twin Gestation with Coexisting Complete Hydatidiform Mole.

CONTEXT: Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is a rare complication of pregnancy, ranging from molar pregnancy to choriocarcinoma. Twin pregnancies with GTD and coexisting normal fetus are extremely rare with an estimated incidence of 1 case per 22,000-100,000 pregnancies. Molecular mimicry between human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) leads to gestational trophoblastic hyperthyroidism (GTH) which is further associated with increased maternal and fetal complications. This is the first reported case in literature describing the delivery of a baby with biochemical euthyroid status following a twin pregnancy with hydatidiform mole (HM) associated with gestational trophoblastic hyperthyroidism (GTH). CASE DESCRIPTION: A 24-year-old G4 P3 Caucasian female with twin gestation was admitted to hospital for gestation trophoblastic hyperthyroidism. She was later diagnosed to have twin pregnancy with complete mole and coexisting normal fetus complicated by gestational trophoblastic hyperthyroidism (GTH). Despite the risk associated with the continuation of molar pregnancy, per patient request, pregnancy was continued till viability of the fetus. The patient underwent cesarean section due to worsening preeclampsia and delivered a euthyroid baby at the 24th week of gestation. CONCLUSIONS: Twin pregnancy with gestational trophoblastic disease and coexisting normal fetus is associated with high risk of hyperthyroidism, and careful monitoring of the thyroid function test along with dose titration of thionamides is of utmost importance throughout the gestation. If normal thyroid hormone levels are maintained during the pregnancy, euthyroidism could be successfully achieved in the baby.

Intracranial hemorrhage from undetected aneurysmal rupture complicating transphenoidal pituitary adenoma resection.

We report a case of a 39-year-old man who presented with a nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma which extended into the suprasellar region. He underwent a transcranial resection of the tumor followed eight months later by transsphenoidal surgery for the residual tumor. Postoperatively he developed massive subarachnoid and intraventricular hemorrhage. A cerebral angiogram revealed a leaking anterior communicating artery aneurysm which was not seen on the computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance angiography before the surgery. Complications of transsphenoidal surgery, particularly vascular hemorrhagic complications, and risk of rupture of undetected aneurysms are discussed.

Cerebral mucormycosis in a diabetic man.

Cerebral mucormycosis without systemic foci of involvement is a rare life-threatening fungal infection that is reported to be more common in intravenous drug abusers. We present a case of isolated cerebral mucormycosis in a diabetic patient diagnosed through excision and biopsy and treated with combination of surgery and amphotericin with posaconazole.