title: Evaluation of beta-cell function in diabetic Taiwanese children using a 6-min glucagon test.
abstract: This study evaluates the effects of glucagon 30 mug/kg (maximal 1 mg) on beta-cell function in children by C-peptide determined before and 6 min after intravenous administration. From 1990 to 2005, 118 Taiwanese children with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus (98 children with type 1 and 20 children with type 2) and 29 normal Taiwanese children were enrolled in this study. Fasting and 6-min post-glucagon C-peptide levels were analyzed. In the pre-pubertal group, the median fasting serum C-peptide levels were 0.2 and 0.8 nmol/l in type 1 diabetes and normal children, respectively. These levels rose to 0.3 and 1.9 nmol/l after glucagon stimulation. In the pubertal group, the median fasting serum C-peptide levels were 0.3, 1.0 and 0.9 nmol/l in type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and normal children, respectively. They rose to 0.4, 2.5 and 2.7 nmol/l after glucagon stimulation. Both fasting and post-glucagon C-peptide levels in type 1 diabetes patients were significantly lower than those of normal children and children with type 2 diabetes. The optimal cut-off values to distinguish type 1 diabetes patients from those with type 2 as determined by the receiving operating characteristic curve were 0.7 and 1.1 nmol/l, respectively. The sensitivities of both C-peptide values were 93%. The post-glucagon C-peptide level was more powerful in distinguishing type 1 diabetes from type 2 diabetes with higher specificity (95% vs. 85%). The 6-min glucagon test is valuable in assessing beta-cell function in children and can help pediatricians in the differential diagnoses of diabetes mellitus in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: Jing-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Pei-Hung
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Hsiao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012372:ROC Curve; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D002096:C-Peptide; D005934:Glucagon; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin