Serum free C-peptide response to oral glucose loading as a parameter for the monitoring of pancreatic B-cell function in diabetic patients.

As a parameter for evaluating pancreatic B-cell function, the accuracy of measuring serum free C-peptide immunoreactivity (CPR) was compared with that of measuring plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI) and urine CPR in diabetic patients during a 100 g oral glucose tolerance test. In 25 non-obese patients receiving oral hypoglycemic agent or diet treatment alone, a positive correlation between the sum of serum free CPR (sigma serum free CPR) and the sum of plasma IRI (sigma plasma IRI) was noted (r = 0.68, P less than 0.001). However, the sum of blood glucose values was found to be negatively correlated to sigma free CPR (r = -0.56, P less than 0.0025), but not to sigma plasma IRI (r = -0.25, NS). In 23 patients receiving diet, oral hypoglycemic agent or insulin treatment, a positive correlation between sigma serum free CPR and urine CPR was noted (r = 0.75, P less than 0.001). However, no significant correlation was found when only insulin-treated patients were investigated (r = 0.37, NS, n = 17). In addition, patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were better differentiated by measuring sigma serum free CPR than urine CPR. Thus, we concluded that the measurement of serum free CPR during OGTT provides an extremely valuable method for monitoring pancreatic B-cell function in diabetic patients, whether they are receiving insulin treatment or not.