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Intravenous glucose tolerance and plasma insulin response in children with homozygous β‐thalassaemia
Author(s) -
THEODORIDIS C. KATTAMIS. CH.,
KANAVAKIS E.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1982.tb02024.x
Subject(s) - medicine , insulin , endocrinology , insulin response , impaired glucose tolerance , plasma glucose , insulin resistance
. Glucose tolerance and insulin secretion were studied after intravenous glucose load in 10 normal and 27 children with homozygous β‐thalassaemia of whom 11 received 5–20 units of blood (1.25–5g total iron) and 16 received 50–60 blood units (12.5–40g total iron). Fasting blood glucose and insulin levels were similar in normal and thalassaemic children. Differences were found at 10 and 20 minutes of intravenous glucose administration both in glucose blood levels. (which were considerably higher) and insulin levels (which were significantly lower), in thalassaemic patients compared to normal children. Evidence of depression of pancreatic function was found in three out of 11 patients, with low and in three out of 16 patients with severe iron load. These findings suggest that in thalassaemia pancreatic impairment is not always directly related to the degree of iron overload.