Hyperplasia of "pancreatic polypeptide"-cells in the pancreas of juvenile diabetics.

The cellular composition of the pancreatic islets of juvenile diabetics was studied, using recently developed immunocytochemical methods. B-cells were identified only in juvenile diabetics with a disease of short duration. In chronic juvenile diabetics, the islets which are classically viewed as "atrophic", were shown to be composed of glucagon- and of somatostatin-cells. Another type of islets which commonly occurs in the pancreas of juvenile diabetics, i.e. the ribbon-like type first described by Cecil in 1911, appeared to be composed almost exclusively of "pancreatic polypeptide" (HPP)-cells. It is suggested that hyperplasia of the HPP-cells in the pancreas of juvenile diabetics results from an atypical type of islet regeneration induced by a severe and prolonged injury to the pancreatic endocrine tissue.