These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Plasma C-peptide and insulin responses to intravenous glucagon stimulation in idiopathic haemochromatosis.
    Author: Rumbak MJ, Joffe BI, Seftel HC, Kalk WJ, Bezwoda WR, Bothwell TH.
    Journal: S Afr Med J; 1987 Mar 21; 71(6):351-3. PubMed ID: 3551126.
    Abstract:
    Beta-cell reserve was investigated in 15 patients with proven idiopathic haemochromatosis (IHC) (7 normoglycaemic haemochromatotic patients, 4 non-insulin-requiring diabetics and 4 insulin-requiring diabetics) by measuring the response of plasma C-peptide, insulin and glucose to a 2 mg intravenous bolus of glucagon, and compared with that in 5 lean normal subjects. The corresponding C-peptide/insulin molar ratios were also calculated. Despite the significant fasting hyperglycaemia in the insulin-requiring haemochromatotic diabetics, mean fasting C-peptide concentrations were similar in all four groups. However, after glucagon stimulation the C-peptide response was significantly reduced in the insulin-requiring group over the whole period of observation. A trend in insulin response to glucagon was noted, with the highest values in the non-diabetic haemochromatotic patients, followed by the controls and then by the non-insulin-requiring diabetics, although there were no significant differences. In contrast, C-peptide/insulin molar ratios after glucagon were significantly reduced in the normoglycaemic IHC group. These results suggest the presence of at least two abnormalities of insulin metabolism in IHC--a progressive reduction in beta-cell function and a diminished rate of removal of insulin by the liver.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]