Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in gastric bypass patients with hypoglycemic syndrome: no evidence for inappropriate pancreatic beta-cell function.

BACKGROUND Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) has been associated with a hypoglycemic syndrome characterized by postprandial hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. The syndrome is believed to occur due to insulin hypersecretion from either pancreatic beta-cell hyperplasia or hyperfunction. METHODS Eight RYGB patients with hypoglycemic syndrome had insulin secretion rates determined during a 240-min graded intravenous glucose infusion. They were compared to 34 nondiabetic, nonsurgical individuals who were divided based on their insulin sensitivity status as measured by the insulin suppression test: insulin-sensitive (n = 8), insulin intermediate (n = 7), and insulin-resistant (n = 19). RESULTS RYGB patients had insulin concentrations and HOMA-IR similar to the insulin-sensitive reference group. In addition, integrated insulin secretion rates were comparable to the insulin-sensitive group and significantly lower than the insulin intermediate (p <or= 0.046) and insulin-resistant groups (p <or= 0.001). Pancreatic beta-cell sensitivity to glucose (slope relating glucose and ISR) was lowest in the RYGB group (p <or= 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Patients with hypoglycemic syndrome post-RYGB do not have generalized hypersecretion of insulin and appear to have appropriate insulin secretion rate in response to intravenous glucose.