The serum concentration of insulin, C-peptide, and proinsulin in patients with acute pancreatitis.

In 14 patients with acute pancreatitis during 16 episodes of the disease the concentrations of blood glucose, serum insulin (IRI), C-peptide (CP), and proinsulin (Pro) were determined in the fasting state on d 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 after the attack. The peptides were measured using RIAs, and for determination of CP two antibodies: Byk-Mallinckrodt's and more specific M-1221 Novo antibodies were used. Apart from sporadic rises in the initial period of the disease, the blood glucose level did not change significantly and had a decreasing trend. On d 1 the mean serum IRI level was 0.17 +/- 0.04 (SD) nM, and it decreased on d 5 to 0.06 +/- 0.04 nM, rising again to 0.11 +/- 0.15 nM on d 10. The serum Pro concentration was on the same days: 11.1 +/- 12.6, 4.2 +/- 2.4 and 7.5 +/- 10.8 pM, whereas the serum CP values determined with M-1221 antibodies were 0.48 +/- 0.50, 0.34 +/- 0.19, and 0.52 +/- 0.25 nM, respectively. However, when serum CP was determined using Byk-Mallinckrodt kits, the concentration on d 1 was 1.90 +/- 1.12 nM and over the following days it decreased to 1.08 +/- 0.98 nM on d 5 and on d 10 it was 1.11 +/- 0.46 nM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)