title: Low prevalence of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in patients with diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) can occur in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Incidence of EPI and its clinical significance remain poorly defined. The aim of our study was to determine whether exocrine pancreatic function is impaired in patients with DM.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifty consecutive patients, mean age 59.0 (± 12.0 years), with DM lasting at least 5 years were included in the study. We included 50 patients with type 1 DM (DM1), 50 insulin-treated patients DM type 2 (DM2-insulin) and 50 non-insulin treated patients with DM type 2 (DM2 no-insulin). Diagnosis of DM was established from health records, lasting 15.0 ± 9.9 years on average. EPI was diagnosed with a fecal elastase-1 concentration (FE1) of less than 200 μg/g (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  FE1 was reduced in 8 (5.4%) patients: mildly reduced (100-200 μg/g) in 4 patients (2.7%) and markedly reduced (<100 μg/g) in 4 patients (2.7%). Frequency of EPI was 3 in DM1, 5 in DM2(insulin) and none in DM2 (no-insulin) groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EPI in DM occurred less frequently than in previous studies, probably due to our strict exclusion criteria (age, alcohol intake).
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Slovenj Gradec General Hospital, Gosposvetska 1, 2380 Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia. mvujas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vujasinovic
authors.forename: Jelka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zaletel
authors.forename: Bojan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tepes
authors.forename: Betka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Popic
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Makuc
authors.forename: Metka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Epsek Lenart
authors.forename: Marjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Predikaka
authors.forename: Sasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rudolf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D010188:Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005243:Feces / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000032:analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase
keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Exocrine; Fecal elastase-1; Insufficiency; Pancreatic