RESUMO
AIM: To reveal the specific features of pancreatogenic diabetes mellitus (DM) and to discuss the principles of its medical therapy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-six patients (55 men and 11 women) aged 30 to 65 years with chronic pancreatitis (CP) were examined. The disease was accompanied with pancreatic calcification and cyst formation in 22 and 13 patients, respectively; 5 patients were found to have a pseudotumorous form of CP and 10 had clinically and laboratorily verified DM. 14 resections and 11 drainages for complicated CP were performed. Its diagnosis was established on the basis of clinical, instrumental, and laboratory findings. Pancreatic exocrine function was evaluated from the results of the 13C-trioctanain breath test (BT) that is designed for its in vivo diagnosis. The level of C-peptide was studied by an enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The findings suggest that pancreatic exocrine function is diminished in CP patients both with and without complications as compared with the normal value in 44% (24.3 +/- 1.7 and 26.6 +/- 1.3%, respectively), as shown by BT. According to the results of BT, a substantial decrease in the total proportion of a released label was noted in patients with CP and pancreatic calcification, diabetes mellitus, after resection operations for complications of CP and there were also significant differences, as compared to a group of CP patients without complications. In these patient groups, the level of C-peptide fell to a larger extent than that in CP patients without complications and in patients with CP and DM it was decreased to 0.11 +/- 0.02 ng/ml, the normal level being 0.7-1.9 ng/ml. There was a direct correlation between C-peptide levels and BT results in the patients with CP after resection operations. Insulin antibodies were absent in all the examined patients with CP, which proves the specific type of DM in CP. These are detectable only in type 1 DM. Seven patients with CP and DM were found to have calcification, 5 underwent resection operations, 3 had calcification and underwent pancreatic resection operations. CONCLUSION: The development of DM may be predicted in CP patients with formation of pancreatic calcification and resections. In these patients, pancreatic exocrine dysfunction achieves a severe degree.