title: Recovery of β-cell functions with low-dose insulin therapy: study in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Insulin therapy induces remission in subjects with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study assessed the insulin and C-peptide levels in newly diagnosed T2DM subjects during low-dose insulin therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty newly diagnosed, drug-naive, T2DM patients without acute or chronic complications were the subjects for this study. Premixed insulin (70/30), 16 units, as two divided doses, was started for all subjects after preliminary investigations. The same dose of insulin was continued until normoglycemia was achieved. Subsequently the insulin dose was down-titrated. Plasma insulin, C-peptide, and blood glucose (both fasting and after breakfast) were measured at baseline and monthly for 6 months. Body weight and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured every 3 months and the lipid profile was obtained at baseline and at 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood glucose levels showed a rapid decreasing trend and reached the near-normoglycemic range by 3 months, whereas plasma insulin and C-peptide showed a slow and steady increase until the fourth month and remained the same during the next 2 months of follow-up. HbA1c was 11.3 ± 1.4% (range, 8.6-13.5%) and 7.05 ± 0.54% (range, 6.3-8.1%) at the time of diagnosis and at the end of 6 months, respectively. The mean weights of the study subjects at baseline and 3 and 6 months were 70 ± 16 kg (range, 44-95 kg), 68 ± 13 kg, and 68 ± 13 kg (P = 0.083), respectively. Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides decreased, whereas high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was higher at 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-dose insulin therapy in newly diagnosed T2DM leads to β-cell recovery (as documented by plasma insulin and C-peptide levels) by 3-4 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Dehli, India.
authors.forename: Saptarshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: Ariachery C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ammini
authors.forename: Viveka
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jyotsna
authors.forename: Nandita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Sadanand
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D002784:Cholesterol; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides