title: Postprandial C-Peptide to Glucose Ratio as a Marker of β Cell Function: Implication for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes.
abstract: C-peptide is secreted from pancreatic β cells at an equimolar ratio to insulin. Since, in contrast to insulin, C-peptide is not extracted by the liver and other organs, C-peptide reflects endogenous insulin secretion more accurately than insulin. C-peptide is therefore used as a marker of β cell function. C-peptide has been mainly used to assess the presence of an insulin-dependent state for the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. However, recent studies have revealed that β cell dysfunction is also a core deficit of type 2 diabetes, and residual β cell function is a key factor in achieving optimal glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. This review summarizes the role of C-peptide, especially the postprandial C-peptide to glucose ratio which likely better reflects maximum β cell secretory capacity compared with the fasting ratio in assessing β cell function, and discusses perspectives on its clinical utility for managing glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 1608582 Tokyo, Japan. ysaisho@keio.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saisho
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019518:Postprandial Period
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin; D005947:Glucose
keywords: C-peptide; postprandial; type 2 diabetes; β cell function