Positive correlation between fasting plasma glucagon and serum C-peptide in Japanese patients with diabetes

Abstract Aims Glucagon plays pivotal roles in systemic glucose homeostasis mainly by promoting hepatic glucose output. Using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we evaluated fasting plasma glucagon levels in hospitalized patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and assessed the relationships between glucagon levels and various clinical parameters. Methods We enrolled adult Japanese diabetes patients admitted to Osaka University Medical Hospital for glycemic control between July 2017 and May 2018 in this study. After patients had fasted for 12 h, blood samples were obtained and plasma glucagon levels were measured using a sandwich ELISA. Results Total 107 patients participated in the study. The mean fasting plasma glucagon level of patients with acute onset type 1 diabetes was significantly lower than that of patients with type 2 diabetes ( p Conclusions Our results suggest that insulin and glucagon secretion are balanced in the fasting state in patients with type 2 diabetes.