Serum and pancreatic immunoreactive insulin (IRI) and proinsulin-like component (PLC), serum IRI and PLC response to different stimuli in normal subjects and organic hyperinsulinism

The serum levels of total immunoreactive insulin (IRI) and proinsulin-like component (PLC) in the fasting state and following the administration of insulin secretagogues in 5 patients with organic hyperinsulinism and age and sex matched normal subjects are reported. Diagnosis of organic hyperinsulinism could be established in all instances on the basis of the inappropriately high total serum IRI levels for the corresponding blood glucose values; such an abnormal relationship was not seen in normal subjects, and was further enhanced by insulin secretagogues. Unrestrained insulin secretion in organic hyperinsulinism was enhanced following the administration of glucose, tolbutamide, glucagon or amino acids; the last 2 stimuli are known to be ineffective in causing insulin secretion in the presence of hypoglycemia in normal subjects. Four patints had insulinomas and one probably had islet cell hyperplasia or abnormal function of islet cells. Chromatography of serum IRI to quantitate PLC is a useful adjunct to the diagnosis of organic hyperinsulinism as in the fasting state the proportion of PLC is always elevated, above the normal range of 5-22%. Following the administration of insulin secretagogues there was pronounced increase in total serum IRI in organic hyperinsulinism but the proportion of PLC generally decreased, suggesting thereby that mojor increase in IRI was due to release of stored granular IRI which is known to have a low proportion of PLC.