Assessment of preservation of beta-cell function in children with long-standing type 1 diabetes with "ultrasensitive c-peptide" method.

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a disease caused by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta-cells. It was previously believed that the loss of the endocrine function of the pancreas is total and inevitable. With the rise of new knowledge and new methods allowing to reliably measure c-peptide in the low plasma concentration range, we have learned otherwise.