[Incretory changes in the pancreatic hormones in chronic pancreatitis]

Radioimmunoassay was employed to study blood content of insulin, C-peptide and glucagon in 78 patients with chronic pancreatitis. It was revealed that during exacerbation, there was an increase in the content of insulin and glucagon and, to a lesser degree, in that of C-peptide. During remissions, part of the patients showed insular deficiency which increased with disease standing. When pancreatitis lasted from 1 to 5 years or from 5 to 10 years, diabetes mellitus was recorded in 9.4% of the patients and in 16% of the patients, respectively.