Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2025

Isolation of Human Islets from Partially Pancreatectomized Patients
Published on: July 30, 2011
Pancreatic beta cell function and insulin resistance profiles in first-degree relatives of patients with prediabetes
Anaid Herrerías-García1, Emmanuel Jacobo-Tovar1, Claudia Mariana Hernández-Robles1
1Metabolic Research Laboratory, Department of Medicine and Nutrition, University of Guanajuato, Blvd. Milenio 1001, Predio San Carlos, 37670, León, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Aims:
To evaluate insulin secretion and insulin resistance profiles in individuals with family history of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study to evaluate clinical and metabolic profiles between individuals with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and their relatives. There were 911 subjects divided into five groups: (i) normoglycemic (NG), (ii) type 2 diabetes, (iii) prediabetes, (iv) first-degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes (famT2D), and (v) first-degree relatives of patients with prediabetes (famPD); anthropometrical, biochemical and nutritional evaluation, as well as insulin resistance and pancreatic beta cell function measurement was performed by oral glucose tolerance to compare between groups.
Results:
The most prevalent type 2 diabetes risk factors were dyslipidemia (81%), family history of type 2 diabetes (76%), central obesity (73%), male sex (63%), and sedentary lifestyle (60%), and most of them were progressively associated to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes groups. Insulin sensitivity was lower in famT2D groups in comparison to NG group (p < 0.0001). FamPD and famT2D had a 10% lower pancreatic beta cell function (DI) than the NG group (NG group 2.78 ± 1.0, famPD 2.5 ± 0.85, famT2D 2.4 ± 0.75, p˂0.001).
Conclusions:
FamPD and famT2D patients had lower pancreatic beta cell function than NG patients, highlighting that defects in insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity appear long time before the development of hyperglycemia in patients genetically predisposed.
Related Concept Videos
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Starch accounts for approximately 60% of the carbohydrates consumed by humans. Since amylase enzymes cannot function in the stomach's acidic environment, starch can only be digested in the mouth and small intestine. Simple sugars are found naturally in milk and fruits in...
Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion
Insulin and C-peptide are...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas
Exocrine function is carried out by acinar cells, organized into clusters known as acini. These cells contribute to digestion by releasing substantial quantities of enzyme-rich, alkaline digestive juices.
Concurrently, the dispersed clusters of endocrine cells throughout the...
Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...

