Objective To determine the trend in the causes of admission among diabetic patients in West China Hospital from 1996 to 2005. Methods The medical records of diabetic inpatients from January 1996 to December 2005 were retrieved, and half of them were randomly selected. A questionnaire was completed and SPSS13.0 software was used for statistical analyses. Results The most common causes of admission for diabetic patients were diabetic chronic complications (20.2%), infection (19.5%), hyperglycemic symptoms (11.7%), malignant tumor (8.9%) and diabetic acute complications (5.8%). The constituent ratios of diabetic macrovascular disease and malignant tumor as the admission causes tended to increase, while the constituent ratios of diabetic microvascular disease, hyperglycemic symptoms and diabetic acute complications tended to decrease. Infection remained as one of the main causes of admission among diabetic patients. Conclusion The main cause of admission to West China Hospital for diabetic patients from 1996 to 2005 was diabetic chronic complications.
We analysed the profiles of teaching practice in clinical diagnostics for international students in recent three years in West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University. Teaching experiences and characteristics were summarized through the following five aspects:pre-service training for all teachers, textbook selection and lesson plan formulation, teaching style and problem-based learning, as well as teaching feedback. We aimed to improve the quality of medical education for international students. Our teaching practice can offer better clinical skills and correct clinical analysis ability for international students in West China School of Medicine, which should be a great help for their further career development.
Orlistat, which has a new mechanism of action, is currently the only approved weight-loss drug in China. In addition to controlling body weight, orlistat can significantly improve blood glucose, blood pressure, dyslipidemia, adiponectin, insulin concentration and other obesity-related biochemical indicators in patients with overweight/obese. Recently, orlistat was approved for weight management in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Although there are clinical trials supporting the good weight loss efficacy of orlistat, its long-term safety and effectiveness in obesity-related diseases still need to be further determined. This article provides a brief review of the new progress in the clinical efficacy and safety of orlistat, aiming to provide a reference for the more rational drug application.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical heterogeneity and auto-immunologic state in patients with diabetic ketosis (DK) or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). MethodsDiabetic patients who presented with DK/DKA were recruited from West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2008. We analyzed the clinical classification, biochemical profiles, and auto-immunologic state of the patients. ResultsAmong them, 257 (15.0%) patients had type 1 diabetes, while 883 (51.6%) with type 2 diabetes, and 515 (30.1%) could be typed as "atypical diabetes" or "untying diabetes". The average age of hospitalized patients with type 1 diabetes was (31.1±13.5) years, which was significantly lower than that of the type 2 diabetes patients [(58.1±13.2) years] (P＜0.001). The most common contributing factor for DK/DKA was infection, followed by noncompliance with therapy. Glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody positive rate was 4.37% in patients with "atypical diabetes", which was similar with type 2 diabetes group (2.69%, P=0.79), but lower than that of the patients with type 1 diabetes (13.79%, P＜0.001). ConclusionsWe conclude that DK or DKA can occur not only in type 1 diabetic patients but also in patients with type 2 diabetes under infection or stress condition. DK/DKA patients have a high clinical heterogeneity. The auto-immunologic state and β-cell function have significant implications for the diagnosis and classification of diabetes.
Objective To analyze the glucolipotoxicity effects of glucose combined with free fatty acid (FFA) on ketone production and ultrastructure of skeletal muscle, by exogenous elevating circulating glucose and FFA concentration. Methods Fifty Wistar rats were divided into high-fat-feed induced obesity group (OB group, n=40) and ordinary feed as normal control group (NC group, n=10). Circulating glucose and FFA levels were increased by infusion in high-fat-fed obese rats. The levels of serum lipid, plasma FFA and beta-hydroxybutyric acid were detected by the horizontal colorimetry, and the microstructure of skeletal muscle was observed by transmission electron microscopy, especially the changes of the mitochondrial structure. Euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp with tracer infusion was performed to assess peripheral insulin sensitivity. Results The average weight and body fat ratio in the OB group was higher than that in the NC group (P<0.05). Insulin clamp test to assess peripheral insulin sensitivity showed that the steady-state glucose Infusion rate in the OB group during clamp test was significantly lower than that in the NC group [OB: (19.26±1.84) mg/(kg·min)vs. NC: (28.82±1.69) mg/(kg·min), P<0.05]. The mitochondrial denaturation of skeletal muscle in the OB group of rats was observed, and the swelling and crest permutation, the accumulation of lipid droplets and cavitation were formed, and hypertrophy of mitochondria were also seen after intralipid and glucose infusion, which was obvious in the combined infusion group. Conclusions By exogenous elevating circulating glucose and FFA concentration, the products of ketone body increases. The mitochondrial damage of skeletal muscle suggests that mitochondrial may be the potential target of glucoxicity and lipotocicity.