Research Information System
NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, vol.26, no.8, pp.1051-1056, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Background: In insulin resistance (IR), it is thought that pancreatic fat
accumulation may decrease pancreatic volume, cause an impaired endocrine
function, and simultaneously lead to an exocrine dysfunction before diabetes
develops. Aim: The association between pancreatic exocrine function and
insulin resistance (IR) was assessed in a population with insulin resistance.
Method: This was a descriptive cross‑sectional study that included 43 IR cases with
no other comorbid diseases or pregnancy and 41 healthy controls. Fasting blood
adiponectin, leptin, pancreatic amylase, lipase, and stool fecal elastase‑1 (FE‑1)
were studied and compared in both groups. Results: The IR group consisted of
38 females (88.3%) and five males (11.6%), while the control group consisted of
31 females (75.6%) and ten males (24.3%). FE‑1 levels were significantly lower
in the IR group (P-value <0.01). Blood glucose, insulin, and HbA1c levels were
significantly higher in the IR group than in the control (P-value of <0.01, <0.01,
<0.01, respectively). Leptin levels were significantly higher in the IR group
compared to the controls (P-value = 0.013). After dividing the whole group (n:
84) into two groups as FE‑1 <200 μg/g (n: 61) and FE‑1 ≥200 μg/g (n: 23),
logistic regression analysis was performed; the significant predictor of low FE‑1
was HOMA‑IR (ODD ratio: 4.27, P-value <0.01, 95% confidence interval for
ODD ratio: 1.95–9.30). Conclusion: This study showed that IR is associated with
pancreatic exocrine dysfunction.
Keywords: Fecal elastase 1, Insulin resistance, Pancreatic exocrine dysfunction