Background. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in adolescents is associated with alterations in the insulin-like factor system probably caused both by a deranged metabolism and insulinopenia in the portal vein. Objective. To study how the circulating IGF-1 is affected at diagnosis and during subsequent years in adolescents with T1D. Methods. Ten girls and ten boys with type 1 diabetes (T1D), aged 13.0 ± 1.4 (mean ± SD) years at diagnosis, took part in the study. Blood samples were drawn at diagnosis and after 3, 9, 18, and 48 months. HbA1c, total IGF-1, and C-peptide were measured. Results. At diagnosis, the patients had high HbA1c, low IGF-1, and measurable C-peptide. After the start of insulin treatment, maximal improvement in glycemic control and IGF-1 occurred within 3 months and then both tended to deteriorate, that is, HbA1c to increase and IGF-1 to decrease. C-peptide decreased with time, and after 4 years, half of the patients were C-peptide negative. At diagnosis, C-peptide correlated positively to IGF-1 (r=0.50; p<0.03). C-peptide correlated negatively with insulin dose (U/kg) after 18 and 48 months from diagnosis (r=−0.48; p<0.03 and r=−0.72; p<0.001, resp.). Conclusions. In conclusion, our results show that in newly diagnosed adolescents with type 1 diabetes and deranged metabolism, the IGF-1 level is low and rapidly improves with insulin treatment but later tends to decrease concomitantly with declining endogenous insulin secretion.
The effects of exercise training versus intensive insulin treatment on skeletal muscle fibre content in type 1 diabetes mellitus rodents