Diabetes Vaccine May Be Developed
Because there is still no cure for diabetes, researchers from a  hospital in Argentina are seeking ways of preventing the disease from developing at all. They have begun researching the possibility of developing a vaccine for the disease.
The researchers are from the Center of Endocrinological Research at the Hospital de Ninos R. Gutierrez in Buenos Aires. The researchers injected mice with many low-doses of the antitumor drug streptozotocin. They then transplanted spleen cells from these mice into healthy mice. Previous research has shown that streptozotocin treatment leads to abnormal glucose tolerance and impaired insulin secretion, which can lead to the development of Type 1 diabetes. However, the researchers also gave the mice the chemotherapy drug mitomycin C, fifteen days prior to the streptozotocin.
The researchers found that a single injection of mitomycin C could prevent the development of diabetes symptoms, and two injections could act like a vaccine and prevent the disease from developing altogether. This effect was not seen in mice that did not have a thymus gland, which produces T cells. Researchers believe that T cells play a part in the protective action of the mitomycin C.
The study results have been published in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine (volume 226, pages 898-905, November 2001), and the scientists are hopeful that research will continue and that clinical studies with humans will begin in two to three years.
  
Childhood Vaccines Don't Cause Diabetes
It is standard practice in America for children to be vaccinated against a variety of viruses. Recently, there has been some speculation that these vaccines may lead to an increased risk of developing diabetes. However, new research appears to refute that.
A research team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia recently studied the health records of 252 cases of US children that developed insulin-dependent diabetes and compared them with 768 children without diabetes. All of the children were born between 1988 and 1997 and received numerous recommended vaccines such as hepatitis B, whooping cough, and chickenpox. The researchers did not find an increased risk of diabetes associated with any of the vaccines.
The study results have been published in the online edition of the journal Pediatrics (volume 108, page e112, December 2001), and researchers hope that people will remain confident in using childhood vaccinations.
Cycling AIDS Treatment
Many people living with AIDS must take a strong drug cocktail in order to try to control their disease. This treatment is associated with many side effects and complications. A new study shows that treatment may be just as effective with drug cycling, in which a person takes his/her medication for seven days, and then stops taking it for seven days.
The study was conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and was presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (December 2001). Ten people participated in the study, all of whom had HIV and were being treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). This is typically a daily drug therapy that stops reproduction of HIV.
In the study, the ten participants began a program in which they took their typical doses of drugs for seven days, and then stopped taking them for seven days. This continued for up to 88 weeks. This program appeared to work well. The virus was still suppressed, and the number of CD4 immune system cells remained at a good level.
The researchers observed several benefits of this drug cycling program. The participants' cholesterol levels decreased by about 22%, and triglyceride levels decreased by 50%. High cholesterol and triglyceride levels are common side effects of HIV therapy, and many people develop thick fat deposits in their back and abdomen. Other side effects of the treatment are diabetes, hepatitis, and deadly blood levels of lactate acid.
The researchers are hopeful that drug cycling will be effective for many people, and will be able to reduce side effects and cut costs. The diabetes that is a side effect of HAART results from insulin resistance which possibly could be reduced or reversed by drug cycling since it lowers cholesterol and triglycerides profoundly.
Further research is needed before drug cycling becomes common practice, and the study authors say that people being treated with HAART should not modify their drug regimen without the guidance of a doctor.
Diabetes And Risk Of Gingivitis In Pregnancy
It is commonly known that pregnant women are at risk of gingivitis, which is gum inflammation due to plaque build-up. However, new research indicates that women with diabetes may be at an even greater risk.
The research was conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and has been published in the Journal of Periodontology (volume 72, pages 1485-1490, November 2001). Thirty-three women participated in the study, thirteen of whom had Type 1 diabetes. The women were all about 29 years old, and were in their 20th to 39th week of pregnancy.
Results showed that the women with diabetes had significantly more plaque and inflammation, as well as deeper pockets between their teeth and looser teeth, than women who did not have diabetes.
If it is not treated, gingivitis can erode the bones and tissue around the teeth. This leaves spaces that can easily become infected. The gum disease can also increase insulin resistance, which can increase the risk of high blood pressure, preterm labor, and the need for Cesarean delivery. In addition, the baby can be put at risk for respiratory problems and diabetes.
The researchers hope that their study will increase awareness of the dangers of gingivitis, and that periodontal exams will be included in the prenatal care of pregnant women with diabetes.
Fewer Mammograms In Women With Diabetes
Although mammograms have been shown to be extremely effective in detecting breast cancer early on so that treatment can begin, a new study shows that women with diabetes are less likely than other women to undergo this procedure.
Recently, doctors from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota conducted a study of women aged 50 to 75, including 424 women with diabetes and 845 women without diabetes. The doctors recorded whether the women had received a mammagram one year before a chosen date and thirty days after the date. They found that 78% of the woemn with diabetes had had a mammogram, and 85% of women without diabetes had had one. The results were not affected by the women's ethnicity or insurance status.
The results of the study have been published in the journal Diabetes Care (volume 24, pages 2049-2053, December 2001). Researchers are unclear about the reasons for the disparity between mammograms done on women with and without diabetes. They postulate that reasons could be due to patient attitude, citing the fact that women with diabetes may feel burdened by the care of their disease and may not want to undergo another examination. Alternatively, the researchers suggest that doctors may feel like the exam is unncessary for women with diabetes, and will not affect the women's life span.
The American Cancer Society recommends that all women have an annual mammogram once they turn 40.
Minimizing Heart Disease With Beans
Legumes such as beans and peas are a well-known source of dietary fiber. Now a new study shows that eating them regularly can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
A recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (volume 161; pages 2573-2578; November 26, 2001) includes the results of a study led by researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. They conducted interviews and medical exams of over 9,600 people who did not have heart disease at the start of the study. After nineteen years, about 1,800 people developed heart disease.
Those who ate legumes at least four times per week were 22% less likely to develop coronary disease than those who ate legumes only once per week. Those who ate legumes the most often were also less likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Legumes are known to be high in soluble fiber, which helps lower total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels and improve insulin resistance. In addition, legumes have low levels of sodium and high levels of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. This is linked to a lower risk of heart disases. Legumes also contain a large amount of folate, which is a mineral that is believed to lower blood levels of homocysteine, which is linked to heart disease risk.
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