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Residual Pancreatic Function in Insulin Dependent Diabetics*
Author(s) -
Glatthaar C.,
Beaven D. W.,
Donald R. A.,
Smith J. R.,
Espiner E A.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0004-8291
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1982.tb02424.x
Subject(s) - insulin , medicine , endocrinology , glucagon , diabetes mellitus , beta cell , antibody , pancreas , alpha cell , beta (programming language) , pancreatic hormone , insulin resistance , islet , immunology , computer science , programming language
Residual pancreatic function in insulin dependent diabetics. C. Glatthaar, D. W. Beaven, R. A. Donald, J. R. Smith and E. A. Espiner, Aust. N.Z. J. Med., 1982, 12, pp. 43–47. The relative contributions of alpha and residual beta cell function and the presence of insulin binding antibodies to indices of glucose control have been assessed in a group of 44 patients with insulin dependent disease of variable duration. Residual beta cell secretion was detected in 18 patients (40%) but no patient receiving insulin for more than five years showed evidence of residual function. Indices of glucose control were significantly better (p < 0 001) in patients demonstrating residual secretion. In contrast, no relation was found between glucose control and either fasting or post prandial plasma glucagon concentrations. Insulin binding antibodies were detected in all but two patients but did not correlate with either daily insulin dose or glucose control. These results are consistent with the view that residual beta cell function contributes to improved glucose control in the early years of insulin dependency but alpha cell function and insulin antibodies do not.