Effect of glucose infusion on venous blood levels of immunoreactive proinsulin activity, insulin activity and fat parameters in healthy and protodiabetic subjects.

Concentrations of immunoreactive insulin activity (IRI) and proinsulin activity (IRP), blood glucose, free fatty acids (FFA), glycerol, cholesterol, triglycerides were analyzed in 140 subjects suspect of protodiabetes and 50 healthy persons before, during and after a glucose infusion test (GIT). The protodiabetic subjects were classified into normweight, overweight, obese, hyperlipemic groups with diet or with Regadrin therapy and each of them subdivided into such with normal and such with pathological carbohydrate tolerance. Norm- and overweight subjects with asymptomatic diabetes were characterized by a significant reduction of insulin secretion during both phases. Obese patients with or without hyperlipoproteinemia demonstrated an increased IRI reaction during the late phase of secretion. Carbohydrate intolerance was associated with an enhancement of basal triglyceride levels and a reduced depression of glycerol and FFA during the GIT. There were no differences in fasting or reactive IRP concentrations between healthy and protodiabetic subjects with normal carbohydrate tolerance. In asymptomatic diabetes the IRP levels were increased during the late secretion phase, but the percentage of IRP in total IRI was normal or--in existing high response--significantly reduced in comparison to norm response. The results do not support an enhanced IRP secretion as the cause of carbohydrate intolerance.