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Query: UMLS:C0039730 (thalassemia)
 10,305 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

To investigate the development of diabetes mellitus in patients with thalassemia major, plasma glucose and immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels following oral glucose and intravenous tolbutamide and glucose disappearance rates following intravenous insulin were measured in 10 patients before and during five years on a high transfusion program (HTP). Plasma immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) levels following oral glucose, intravenous insulin, and arginine were measured during the sixth year. Serial percutaneous liver biopsies were performed on seven patients. The oral glucose tolerance tests (OGAT) and mean peak IRI levels were normal in nine of 10 patients before HTP. After HTP was begun a progressive deterioration of OGTT occurred despite normal IRI levels. Following tolbutamide, the mean per cent fall in plasma glucose in the patients before HTP was significantly less than in controls (p less than 0.01) and similar to that of controls during five years of HTP in spite of higher than normal peak IRI levels. Of seven survivors after six years of HTP, three had normal OGTT and four had chemical diabetes; mean peak IRI levels were normal, but fasting IRG levels were significantly higher than in controls (p less than 0.05). In all seven patients, plasma IRG failed to increase following insulin-induced hypoglycemia and was significantly higher than in controls after arginine (p less than 0.01); after oral glucose, plasma IRG fell significantly below that of fasting only in the patients with chemical diabetes (p less than 0.03). Following intravenous insulin, the mean per cent fall in glucose before and during HTP was significantly less than in controls (p less than 0.01). Hemosiderosis and cirrhosis were present in all biopsied patients. Four patients died; two had chemical and two had nonketotic insulin-dependent diabetes. These data suggest that diabetes mellitus occurs frequently in patients with thalassemia on HTP and that insulin resistance and hyperglucagonemia, possibly due to cirrhosis, are important etiologic factors.
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PMID:Carbohydrate metabolism and pancreatic islet-cell function in thalassemia major. 32 76

To better understand the pathophysiology of glucose intolerance secondary to iron overload in patients with thalassemia major, we performed tolbutamide-modified frequently sampled iv glucose tolerance tests (FSIGTs) in 10 thalassemic patients (6 males and 4 females; 21.7 +/- 1.2 yr old; body mass index, 19.7 +/- 0.6 kg/m2) and 10 healthy controls (5 males and 5 females; 22.4 +/- 1.3 yr; body mass index, 20.6 +/- 0.5 kg/m2). Insulin secretion and action were quantified by application of the minimal model of glucose kinetics and the combined model of insulin and C-peptide kinetics to the FSIGT data. The insulin sensitivity index was significantly lower in thalassemia patients [72 +/- 12 min-1(nmol/mL)] compared to controls [158 +/- 21 min-1(nmol/mL); P = 0.0026]. The integrated insulin response during the FSIGT was significantly greater in thalassemia patients than in controls after tolbutamide injection (P = 0.042). The difference in insulin levels was apparently due to reduced hepatic insulin extraction in thalassemia (78 +/- 2% vs. 68 +/- 3%; P = 0.0251). Seven of the 10 thalassemia patients were studied prospectively at 6-month intervals for 6-12 months. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that across a 6-month interval, there was a decrease in the total integrated insulin response (P = 0.002), with no change in insulin sensitivity (P = 0.86). In conclusion, patients with thalassemia major have significant insulin resistance, which may be compensated for by an elevated circulating insulin level. The elevated insulin level in response to tolbutamide appears to be due to reduced hepatic extraction of insulin and not to an enhanced insulin secretory response. Over time, patients with thalassemia experience a reduction in their circulating insulin levels. Persistent insulin resistance along with a progressive reduction in circulating insulin levels may lead to glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus, which have a high prevalence in patients with thalassemia major.
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PMID:Factors determining glucose tolerance in patients with thalassemia major. 834 55