Serum-insulin response to glucose in "pancreatic diabetes".

Thirty patients with chronic pancreatitis (mostly calcific) were tested for glucose tolerance and serum insulin response to glucose loading. The responses were very variable and the insulin values did not clearly relate to the ‘glucose-tolerance-status’. Some subjects had low insulin levels throughout, some had average to high fasting levels without further response, and some showed an excellent rise of insulin level after glucose. No antibodies to insulin could be found in seven patients. Synalbumin antagonist was present at 1·25% in five out of twelve patients tested.