A comparison between diabetics receiving a high or low daily insulin dosage.

Two groups of 8 diabetics, similar in many aspects, who required high (greater than or equal to 128 units) or low (less than or equal to 32 units) total daily insulin dosage were compared during a 24 hour period. C-peptide secretion was detected in all but one of the low dose group, but only in two of the high dose group. No significant differences in serum free and total insulin concentrations were detected and the patterns of blood metabolites were also similar, apart from higher blood glycerol concentrations in the low dose group. No significant differences in the binding characteristics of the antiinsulin antibodies were detected.