• Tae Ho Lee, Ah Reum Kwon, Ye Jin Kim, Hyun Wook Chae, Ho Seong Kim, and Duk Hee Kim.
• Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
• J. Korean Med. Sci. 2013 Sep 1; 28 (9): 134013441340-4.

AbstractThis study was done to characterize the natural course of C-peptide levels in patients with type 1 diabetes and identify distinguishing characters among patients with lower rates of C-peptide decline. A sample of 95 children with type 1 diabetes was analyzed to retrospectively track serum levels of C-peptide, HbA1c, weight, BMI, and diabetic complications for the 15 yr after diagnosis. The clinical characteristics were compared between the patients with low and high C-peptide levels, respectively. The average C-peptide level among all patients was significantly reduced five years after diagnosis (P < 0.001). The incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis was significantly lower among the patients with high levels of C-peptide (P = 0.038). The body weight and BMI standard deviation scores (SDS) 15 yr after diagnosis were significantly higher among the patients with low C-peptide levels (weight SDS, P = 0.012; BMI SDS, P = 0.044). In conclusion, C-peptide level was significantly decreased after 5 yr from diagnosis. Type 1 diabetes patients whose beta-cell functions were preserved might have low incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis. The declines of C-peptide level after diagnosis in type 1 diabetes may be associated with changes of body weight and BMI.

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