Blood glucose and serum insulin levels in children with cystic fibrosis.

Impaired glucose tolerance was shown to be present in a proportion of children with cystic fibrosis more than 30 years ago (Andersen, 1938), though symptomatic diabetes mellitus was not recognized as a complication until 1955(Schwachman and Leubner, 1955). This paper presents the results of blood glucose and serum insulin levels after oral and intravenous glucose, and after intravenous glucagon and tolbutamide, in a series of children with cystic fibrosis, including two with symptomatic diabetes mellitus. These investigations were done to discover which patients were at risk as regards diabetes mellitus. In addition, they provide further information on the mechanism of impaired glucose tolerance in cystic fibrosis.