Low insulin secretion in decompensated liver cirrhosis with diabetes mellitus.

The present study aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of altered glucose tolerance frequently observed in liver cirrhosis by means of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and i.v. glucagon followed by determining the immunoreactive insulinemia and insulinogenic index (Seltzer). In these conditions of beta islet cells upper limit stimulation a low insulin secretion was found in decompensated liver cirrhosis with alteration of the glucose tolerance (DM or IGT) and a tendency toward hepatic resistance to i.v. glucagon.