Duodenal-jejunal bypass for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in Chinese patients with an average body mass index<24 kg/m2.

Background: It is frequently reported that bariatric surgery often leads to resolution of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2 DM). Limited experience with duodenal-jejunal bypass (DJB) for the treatment of T2 DM has shown controversial results. We present the first study of DJB for T2 DM patients in China. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of DJB in nonobese Chinese patients with T2 DM.

Methods: From March 2009 to March 2011, a total of 10 T2 DM patients with an average body mass index (BMI) of 23.8 ± 1.2 kg/m(2) were enrolled in the study. DJB was performed in all patients. BMI and glycometabolic parameters were collected at baseline and 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Remission of T2 DM was defined as a glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of<7% without diabetic medication.

Results: Remission of T2 DM was observed in 1 (10%) of 10 T2 DM patients at 6 months. Without increasing antihyperglycemic agents, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose, and HbA1c decreased significantly at each postoperative time point, compared with the preoperative baseline. BMI statistically decreased at 1 and 3 months, but did not reach statistical significance at 6, 12, and 24 months.

Conclusions: DJB can improve glycemic control in nonobese T2 DM patients without significant weight loss but may not be effective enough to induce remission of T2 DM in nonobese Chinese patients. A larger sample size and more constrictive inclusion criteria may be required for better evaluation.