Glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion during chronic treatment with cyclosporin in nondiabetic humans.

Cyclosporin or placebo was administered in a randomized, double-blind fashion to 13 patients with multiple sclerosis for 1 yr to determine whether cyclosporin adversely affects glucose homeostasis or beta-cell function. No significant differences were observed in fasting glucose, fasting insulin, intravenous glucose tolerance, or glucose-induced insulin secretion before treatment or at 3 wk, 6 mo, or 1 yr during treatment. Longer therapeutic trials with larger patient groups will be necessary to decide whether cyclosporin can be safely given for many years without risk of developing diabetes mellitus.