The Pathology of Diabetes Flashcards
What does diabetes strictly refer to?
Abundant production of urine
What does diabetes mellitus mean?
Polyuria secondary to glycosuria because of hyperglycaemia
Is diabetes a single pathology?
No, it’s a group of conditions
Endpoint = chronic hyperglycaemia
Where is insulin produced?
Beta cells in pancreatic islets
How do insulin levels rise?
After meal > increased blood glucose
What does insulin do?
Promotes glucose uptake and utilisation in tissues
Which tissues have a high expression of the insulin receptor?
Adipose tissue
Muscle
Liver
What is the structure of the insulin receptor?
Tetramer
- 2 alpha subunits - extracellular
- 2 beta subunits - intracellular
What does insulin binding to the insulin receptor lead to?
Tyrosine phosphorylation of substrate proteins
Translocation of glucose transport proteins to surface
Alteration to lipid and glucose metabolism
What does acute hyperglycaemia in type 1 diabetes cause?
Produce ketones > acidosis
Hyperglycaemia
Worsening dehydration
Leads to diabetic ketoacidosis
What does acute hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes cause?
Severe hyperglycaemia
Increasing serum osmolarity
Lapse into hyperosmolar coma
What do the consequences of diabetes relate to?
Severity
Duration
Which organs do major changes in diabetes involve?
Blood vessels
- Macrovascular = larger muscular and elastic arteries
- Microvascular = capillaries and arterioles
What are the macrovascular effects of diabetes?
Atherosclerosis
What is the rate of progression and severity of atherosclerosis in diabetes?
Accelerated and more severe
Where do diabetic patients develop atherosclerosis?
Usual areas
- Coronary arteries
- Carotid arteries
- Aorta
- Iliac arteries
What is the risk for cardiovascular events in type 1 diabetics compared to age-matched non-diabetics?
10 times higher
How can you tell atherosclerosis apart in diabetics and non-diabetics?
Macroscopically and histologically indistinguishable
What are some of the factors that contribute to atherosclerosis in diabetics?
Increased hepatic production of atherogenic lipoproteins
Suppression of lipid uptake in peripheral tissues
Abnormal endothelial function with pro-coagulant results
Associated abnormalities frequently seen in diabetes including
- Hyperlipidaemia
- Hypertension
What are the consequences of atherosclerosis?
Myocardial infarction
Thrombotic stroke
Infarcts in peripheral tissues; eg: toes
In diabetics, what type of strokes are more common?
Infarcts
Which vessels are part of microvascular beds?
Arterioles - particularly susceptible to disease processes
Capillaries
What are the microvascular effects of diabetes?
Kidney > diabetic nephropathy
Retina > diabetic retinopathy
Delayed wound healing
Foot ulcers
What do microvascular complications of diabetes relate to?
Long term effects of hyperglycaemia on cells and extracellular matrix
Especially glycosylation of proteins
What effect does glycosylation have on the proteins?
Don’t break down/break down slowly
What do glycosylated proteins look like in a H&E stain?
Pink
Thick
Acellular
What are Schiff bases?
Initially reversible glycosylated proteins
What are advanced glycation end products?
Later stable glycosylated proteins