title: Elevated L-xylulose concentrations in serum: a difference between type I and type II diabetes.
abstract: L-Xylulose, which can be derived from glucose directly or from mucopolysaccharide degradation, was measured in serum samples from 61 diabetics and 42 controls. All serum samples from the controls were negative for L-xylulose. Fifteen of 30 adult-onset diabetics, in contrast to only four of 31 juvenile-onset diabetics, had detectable L-xylulose levels. This difference between adult-onset and juvenile-onset diabetics was significant at the 0.001 level. Detectability of L-xylulose in serum did not appear to be influenced by the fasting mean or peak serum concentration of glucose. Mean serum concentrations of growth hormone did not correlate with L-xylulose levels. The reason for the variation of L-xylulose between type-I and type-II diabetic subjects could not be identified. We would postulate a variation in the degradation of glycosaminoglycan. These results support the view that type-I and type-II diabetes are different diseases.
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005965:Glucuronates / Q000378:metabolism; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D010429:Pentoses / Q000097:blood*; D014996:Xylulose / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005965:Glucuronates; D010429:Pentoses; D007294:Inositol; D014996:Xylulose; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D013006:Growth Hormone