title: The effect of thyroid disease on proinsulin and C-peptide levels.
abstract: C-peptide and proinsulin levels were studied in hyper and hypothyroidism both pre and post-treatment and in comparison to matched normals. Fasting C-peptide was reduced in untreated hyperthyroidism (0.4 +/- 0.2 (mean +/- SEM) vs 0.7 +/- 0.2 nmol/l, P less than 0.05) but returned to normal levels following treatment. Fasting proinsulin was elevated in untreated hyperthyroidism (3.6 +/- 0.7 vs 2.4 +/- 0.5 pmol/l, P less than 0.05) also returning to normal after treatment. A similar pattern was seen after oral glucose. The increased proinsulin and reduced C-peptide suggest there may be a defect of proinsulin processing in hyperthyroidism. Fasting C-peptide was reduced in untreated hypothyroidism (0.4 +/- 0.1 vs 0.7 +/- 0.1 nmol/l, P less than 0.05) and also returned to normal after treatment. Fasting proinsulin did not differ significantly from controls. However, proinsulin was reduced after oral glucose (4.7 +/- 0.7 vs. 7.9 +/- 2.0 pmol/l, P less than 0.05) as was C-peptide (0.9 +/- 0.2 vs 2.6 +/- 0.3 nmol/l, P less than 0.05). Both returned to normal after treatment. These findings suggest there are abnormalities of proinsulin and C-peptide levels in both hyper and hypothyroidism.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Parr
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Temple
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Hales
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood*; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000097:blood*; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood*; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D008875:Middle Aged; D011384:Proinsulin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D011384:Proinsulin; D005947:Glucose