Functional assessment of pancreatic beta-cell area in humans

beta-Cell mass declines progressively during the course of diabetes, and various antidiabetic treatment regimens have been suggested to modulate beta-cell mass. However, imaging methods allowing the monitoring of changes in beta-cell mass in vivo have not yet become available. We address whether pancreatic beta-cell area can be assessed by functional test of insulin secretion in humans.

A total of 33 patients with chronic pancreatitis (n = 17), benign pancreatic adenomas (n = 13), and tumors of the ampulla of Vater (n = 3) at various stages of glucose tolerance were examined with an oral glucose load before undergoing pancreatic surgery. Indexes of insulin secretion were calculated and compared with the fractional beta-cell area of the pancreas.

beta-Cell area was related to fasting glucose concentrations in an inverse linear fashion (r = -0.53, P = 0.0014) and to 120-min postchallenge glycemia in an inverse exponential fashion (r = -0.89). beta-Cell area was best predicted by a C-peptide-to-glucose ratio determined 15 min after the glucose drink (r = 0.72, P < 0.0001). However, a fasting C-peptide-to-glucose ratio already yielded a reasonably close correlation (r = 0.63, P < 0.0001). Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) beta-cell function was unrelated to beta-cell area.

Glucose control is closely related to pancreatic beta-cell area in humans. A C-peptide-to-glucose ratio after oral glucose ingestion appears to better predict beta-cell area than fasting measures, such as the HOMA index.