[The influence of clinical presentation and metabolic control of insulin dependent diabetes in the evolution of residual insulin secretion. A prospective study at five years].
BACKGROUND
To study the influence of clinical, metabolic and immunological parameters during the first years of the evolution of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) on the long-term residual insulin secretion (IS).


METHODS
186 IDDM subjects diagnosed from 1986 to 1993 were included; 135 subjects have completed a two year follow-up, and 57 have completed a five year follow-up. The influence of individual characteristics at diagnosis (age, sex, clinical presentation, islet-cell antibodies) and during the first two years of follow-up (IS, metabolic control) on IS at five years was evaluated by multiple linear regression. Differences between groups were evaluated by non-parametric tests.


RESULTS
18 patients had a significant insulin secretion at five years (post-glucagon C-peptide > or = 0.15 nmol/l). They showed minor significant differences in sex (77.7 vs 48.7% of males, p = 0.03), duration of symptoms (12.9 vs 7.2 weeks, p = 0.01), ketoacidosis at diagnosis (23.3 vs 46.1%, p = 0.07) and ICA positivity at diagnosis (41.1 vs 69.4%, p = 0.05). They also had a better metabolic control (8.8 vs 10.8% of HbA1, p < 0.001) with lss insulin (0.48 vs 0.71 Ul/kg, p < 0.001) during the first two years of evolution. Initial IS was similar, but differences became significant at 6 months. In the multivariate analysis, only metabolic control during the second year of evolution (p = 0.008), ketoacidosis at diagnosis (p = 0.026) and sex (p = 0.026) had an independent influence on IS at five years. A more intensified therapeutic approach introduced in 1990 induced a better metabolic control and higher IS during the first years of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
The absence of ketoacidosis at diagnosis and a good metabolic control during the first two years can have a positive influence in the long-term preservation of IS in IDDM patients.
Fernández Castañer
M
M
Servicio de Endocrinología, Ciutat Sanitària i Universitària de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona.
Gonzálbez
J
J
Carrera
M J
MJ
Nacher
V
V
Montanya
E
E
Abós
R
R
Soler
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin