Development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus during the hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

Three children developed hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis three, eight, and 60 days after the onset of hemolytic-uremic syndrome. During hyperglycemia, the two patients studied had dramatically low insulin concentrations. Circulating islet-cell and insulin antibodies were not detected. These studies suggest that pancreatic beta cell dysfunction may occur during hemolytic-uremic syndrome, and that the serum glucose concentration should be closely monitored during this disease.