Lower serum chromogranin B level is associated with type 1 diabetes and with type 2 diabetes patients with intensive conservative insulin treatment.

Background: Chromogranin B (CgB) plays an important role in the physiological insulin secretion of pancreatic beta cells. Serum CgB levels were investigated in type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients in a cross-sectional study.

Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was performed with the inclusion of 94 control subjects, 100 type 1 and 100 type 2 diabetes patients, at the Metabolic Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, Semmelweis University. Serum CgB levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Serum CgB level was lower in type 1 diabetes patients than in matched control subjects ( = 0.0241), while they were equal in type 2 diabetes patients and controls ( = 0.1698). The subgroup of type 2 diabetes patients who received intensive conservative insulin treatment had significantly lower CgB levels compared to those with other regimens of antidiabetic therapies ( = 0.0283).

Conclusion: The lower serum CgB levels in the patients with type 1 diabetes and the type 2 diabetes patients with progressed disease stage suggested that the CgB production might be decreased due to the beta cell destruction and depletion.