Summary
The aim of the present investigation was to determine in patients with idiopathic haemochromatosis whether diabetes is of the primary type or secondary to pancreatic injury due to iron deposition. For this purpose, plasma glucagon concentrations were determined following arginine infusion or an oral glucose load in eight patients with diabetes and idiopathic haemochromatosis. The enhanced glucagon response to arginine and the nonsuppressibility of glucagon secretion by oral glucose found in these patients were similar to the results found in the same tests performed in our previous series of patients with “idiopathic” diabetes and at variance with those reported by others in patients with chronic pancreatitis.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Marble, A., Bailey, C.C.: Haemochromatosis. Am. J. Med.11, 590–599 (1951)
Peterson, R.E.: The metabolic basis of inherited diseases, p. 839. New-York: MacGraw Hill 1960
Bothwell, T.H., Finch, C.A.: Iron metabolism, p. 393. 366 Boston: Little, Brown and Co. 1962
Derot, M.: Conclusions, XXXIV Congr. Franc. Med., p. 453. Paris: Masson 1963
Balcerzak, S.P., Mintz, D.H., Westerman, M.P.: Diabetes mellitus and idiopathic haemochromatosis. Am. J. Med. Sci.255, 53–62 (1968)
Saddi, R., Feingold, J.: Hémochromatose idiopathique et diabète. Rev. Fr. Et. Clin. Biol.14, 252–259 (1969)
Dymock, I.W., Cassar, J., Pyke, D.A., Oakley, W.G., Williams, R.: Observations on the pathogenesis, complications and treatment of diabetes in 115 cases of haemochromatosis. Am. J. Med.52, 203–210 (1972)
Aguilar-Parada, E., Eisentraut, A.M., Unger, R.H.: Pancreatic glucagon secretion in normal and diabetic subjects. Am. J. Med. Sci.257, 415–419 (1969)
Unger, R.H., Aguilar-Parada, E., Muller, W.A., Eisentraut, A.M.: Studies of pancreatic alpha cell function in normal and diabetic subjects. J. Clin. Invest.49, 837–848 (1970)
Assan, R., Tiengo, A.: Comparaison des sécrétions de glucagon dans les diabètes sucrés avec ou sans pancréatopathie acquise. Pathol. Biol. (Paris)21, 17–25 (1973)
Kalk, W.J., Vinik, A.I., Bank, S., Buchanan, K.D., Keller, P., Jackson, W.P.U.: Glucagon responses to arginine in chronic pancreatitis. Possible significance in diabetes. Diabetes23, 257–263 (1974)
Donowitz, M., Hendler, R., Spiro, H.M., Binder, H.J., Felig, P.: Glucagon secretion in acute and chronic pancreatitis. Ann. Intern. Med.83, 778–781 (1975)
Muller, W.A., Brennan, M.F., Tan, M.H., Aoki, T.T.: Studies of glucagon secretion in pancreatectomised patients. Diabetes23, 512–516 (1974)
Barnes, A.J., Bloom, S.R.: Pancreatectomised man: a model for diabetes without glucagon. Lancet1976 I, 219–221
Luyckx, A.: Sécrétion de l'insuline et du glucagon. Etude clinique et expérimentale, p. 263. Paris: Masson 1974
Persson, I., Gytelberg, F., Heding, L.G., Boss-Nielsen, J.: Pancreatic glucagon-like immunoreactivity after intravenous insulin in normal and chronic pancreatitis patients. Acta Endocrinol. (Kbh.)67, 401–404 (1971)
Hultman, E.: Rapid specific method for determination of aldosaccharides in body fluids. Nature183, 784–787 (1959)
Dole, U.P., Meinertz, H.: Microdetermination of long chain fatty acids in plasma and tissues. J. Biol. Chem.235, 2595–2599 (1960)
Luyckx, A.: Immunoassay for glucagon. In: P.J. Lefebvre, R.H. Unger (Eds.): Glucagon. Molecular physiology. Clinical and therapeutic implications, p. 285. Oxford: Pergamon Press 1972
Marco, J., Diego, J., Villanueva, M.L., Diaz-Fierros, M., Valverde, I., Segovia, J.M.: Elevated plasma glucagon levels in cirrhosis of the liver. N. Engl. J. Med.289, 1107–1111 (1973)
Sherwin, R., Joshi, P., Hendler, R., Felig, P., Conn, H.O.: Hyperglucagonemia in Laennec's cirrhosis. The role of portal systemic shunting. N. Engl. J. Med.290, 239–242 (1974)
Carpentier, J.L., Luyckx, A.S., Lefebvre, P.J.: Influence of metformin on arginine-induced glucagon secretion in human diabetes. Diab. Metab.1, 23–28 (1975)
Ohneda, A., Aguilar-Parada, E., Eisentraut, E., Unger, R.H.: Control of pancreatic glucagon secretion by glucose. Diabetes18, 1–10 (1969)
Buchanan, K.D., McCarrol, A.M.: Abnormalities of glucagon metabolism in untreated diabetes mellitus. Lancet1972 II, 1394–1395
Heding, L.G., Rasmussen, S.M.: Determination of pancreatic and gut glucagon-like immunoreactivity (GLI) in normal and diabetic subjects. Diabetologia8, 408–411 (1972)
Crosby, W.H.: Treatment of haemochromatosis by energetic phlebotomy. Br. J. Haematol.4, 82–88 (1958)
Lonergan, P., Robbins, S.L.: Absence of intercapillary glomerulosclerosis in the diabetic patient with haemochromatosis. N. Engl. J. Med.260, 367–370 (1959)
Pirart, J., Barbier, P.: Effet protecteur de l'hémochromatose vis à vis des lésions vasculaires séniles ou diabétiques. Diabetologia7, 227–236 (1971)
Becker, D., Miller, M.: Presence of diabetic glomerulosclerosis in patients with haemochromatosis. N. Engl. J. Med.263, 367–373 (1960)
Griffiths, J.D., Dymock, I.W., Davies, E.W.G., Hill, D.W., Williams, R.: Occurrence and prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in haemochromatosis. Diabetes20, 766–770 (1971)
Passa, Ph., Rousselie, F., Ganvillé, C., Canivet, J.: Retinopathy and plasma growth hormone levels in idiopathic hemochromatosis with diabetes. Diabetes26, 113–120 (1977)
Hartroft, W.S.: Islet pathology in diabetes. Diabetes5, 98–104 (1956)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Passa, P., Luyckx, A.S., Carpentier, J.L. et al. Glucagon secretion in diabetic patients with idiopathic haemochromatosis. Diabetologia 13, 509–513 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01234505
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01234505