{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Exocrine pancreas functions in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
{Author}: Basturk A;Curek Y;Felek R;Celmeli G;Artan R;
{Journal}: Arab J Gastroenterol
{Volume}: 22
{Issue}: 3
{Year}: Sep 2021
{Factor}: 1.8
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.ajg.2021.05.018
{Abstract}: OBJECTIVE: We evaluated exocrine pancreas functions using a noninvasive indicator in a case-control study conducted on children and adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
METHODS: Sixty-seven patients who participated in a summer camp were enrolled in this study. Nineteen healthy children in the same age group were assigned to the control group. Fecal pancreatic elastase was assayed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Values higher than 200 µg/g were considered an indication of sufficient exocrine pancreatic functioning, values between 100 µg/g and 200 µg/g were considered mild exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and values below 100 µg/g were considered severe exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
RESULTS: The mean concentration of fecal elastase was 158.38 ± 59.67 µg/g. The patients were assigned to three groups according to these values. Thirteen patients (22%) had sufficient fecal elastase levels, whereas 36 patients (62%) had mildly insufficient levels, and nine patients (16%) had severely insufficient fecal elastase concentrations. The levels of fecal elastase, amylase, lipase, and zinc were significantly different between the patients and controls (p < 0.001). Only the duration of diabetes was significantly different between patients with different severities of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (p = 0.037). Additionally, the group with severe pancreatic insufficiency had more frequent hypoglycemic attacks.
CONCLUSIONS: Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency may develop in children with diabetes, and hypoglycemia attacks are observed more frequently depending on the severity of pancreatic insufficiency.