Abstract
A remission defined by the possibility of temporarily discontinuing insulin therapy while blood glucose remains normal is not infrequently observed after intensive insulin therapy in newly diagnosed acute type I diabetes in the South of France. In order to analyze possible factors of such a remission, 47 newly diagnosed ketotic diabetics under 35 years of age and of Caucasian origin were enrolled in a prospective study. They were given continuous s.c. insulin infusion for two weeks and oral agents were introduced on day 8. In 16 patients insulin could not be withdrawn. In 31 insulin was stopped for more than 3 months (mean 12.3, range 3-35) while blood glucose remained below 6 mmol/l fasting (mean 5.3) and 7.8 post-prandial (mean 5.1) and glycosylated Hb below 8.5% (mean 6). At presentation, diabetics who later went into remission and those who did not, showed no difference in age (22.3 vs 23.1 years), sex ratio, apparent duration of symptoms (1.4 vs 1.6 months), glycosylated hemoglobin (12.0 vs 13.1%) and basal or post-prandial C-peptide values or presence of islet cell antibodies. No differences were observed in the frequency of DR3 and DR4 antigens in the two groups but diabetics who developed a remission bore the A 19.2 ant...Continue Reading