The euglycemic clamp in patients with thalassaemia intermedia

In order to evaluate the influence of haemosiderosis on the glucose metabolism we studied tissue sensitivity to insulin and the metabolic clearance rate (M.C.R.) of this hormone by means of euglycemic clamp technique using an artificial endocrine pancreas in 8 patients with thalassaemia intermedia and 8 control subjects. During the steady-state of euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (40 mU/m2/min) plasma insulin values were significantly lower and the insulin M.C.R. was significantly higher in thalassaemic patients compared to the controls. To achieve a comparable steady-state insulin concentration to the controls, we performed for a second time the euglycemic clamp in the thalassaemic patients increasing the insulin infusion rate to 80/mU/m2/min. The insulin M.C.R., the M index and the M/IRIs-s ratio were significantly higher in the thalassaemic patients compared to the controls. These results are indicative of an increased tissue peripheral sensitivity to insulin as well as the metabolic clearance rate of this hormone.