Relationship between Insulin Secretion and Pancreas Morphology in Subjects with Chronic Pancreatitis

Summary

In order to investigate whether a relationship exists between in vivo insulin secretion and islet mass, 8 patients suffering from severe chronic relapsing pancreatitis were studied before and after pancreatectomy by glucose-glucagon-test (per os 1.75 g glucose; i.v. glucagon 0.01 mg/kg b.w.) and by intravenous glucose-tolerance-test (iGTT) (i.v. glucose 0.33 g/kg b.w.).

Postoperative in vitro assessments of pancreatic insulin and α-amylase content were performed, and morphometric studies were carried out.

Patients were characterized by reduced c-peptide secretion when compared with healthy subjects.

The c-peptide response to the glucose-glucagon-test correlated well with the morphometrically estimated exocrine and islet tissue mass (P < 0.05) and with the content of insulin and amylase in the tissue.

The findings suggest that in subjects suffering from severe chronic relapsing pancreatitis the maximal insulin response might represent a parameter for the patient's islet mass.

Key-Words:

Chronic Pancreatitis - Insulin Secretion Test - Insulin Tissue Content - Amylase Tissue Content - Pointcounting Method - Islet Mass - Islet Autotransplantation