Great interindividual insulin dependent variation in ketone body metabolism in human infection

In an effort to study whether previous data obtained from animal studies showing decreased blood ketone body concentration and suggesting a shut-off of ketone body production in acute infection are valid also for man, 14 previously healthy patients, suffering from pyelonephritis, pneumonia, serous meningitis or upper respiratory tract infection were investigated. There were great interindividual differences in the ketone body response, which seems to be insulin dependent. The results indicate that in man there is probably no general inhibition of ketone body production in the liver in acute infection.