Beta-cell function assessed by plasma C-peptide evaluation in diabetic thalassaemic patients.
In order to investigate the pancreatic function in patients with thalassaemia major, plasma glucose and immunoreactive C-peptide levels were determined in 9 diabetic thalassaemic patients and in 7 controls after arginine infusion. Mean basal and peak values and C-peptide areas in thalassaemic patients did not differ significantly from those of the controls. However, in the thalassaemic group there was a greater variation in values, since pancreatic beta-cell function was found either normal, reduced or increased. These findings could suggest that different factors may lead to diabetes which complicates thalassaemia, i.e. insulin-resistance, probably due to liver damage subsequent to iron deposition and infectious hepatitis, and insulinopenia, probably due to beta-cell lesion following iron storage in the pancreas.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000150:complications*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D010455:Peptides