The previous topic of my blog is all about the pancreas and the hormones it secretes. Now that have a knowledge of the 3 hormones that it secretes; the insulin, glucagon and somatostatin, let us now get to discover on the different tests done in the laboratory for the screening of these hormones. For these hormones, blood tests are usually done in the laboratory.
Insulin testing is done along with the glucose and C-peptide levels in the circulation. It is helpful in the diagnosis of insulinomas and helps in the determination of acute or chronic hypoglycemia. For the insulin resistance, insulin and C-peptides levels produced endogenously by the beta cells are checked. This helps in the diagnosis of type 2 Diabetes. Another test that may be performed is the glucose tolerance test (GTT). In this test, the insulin together with the glucose level are measured for the evaluation of the insulin resistance in the body.
Normal Value= 5 - 20 mcU/mL
The tests are ordered in situations wherein the blood glucose is low or if the condition has an acute or chronic hypoglycemia.
Insulin levels are increased in conditions such as Acromegaly and Cushing's syndrome. On the other hand, decreased insulin levels are seen on people suffering from Diabetes and Hypopituitarism.
The test for glucagon is usually done in screening conditions such as hypoglycemia or in some cases in multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type I and glucagonoma.
The specific test done for the testing of glucagon is the radioimmunoassay (RIA) which checks this hormone in the blood of the patient. The normal range for glucagon is 50 - 100 pg/ml.
Reference/s:
McPherson, R. A.,et.al.HENRY'S CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT by LABORATORY METHODS, 21st edition.
Posts
