Pancreatic Fat Content and β-Cell Function in Men With and Without Type 2 Diabetes
Response to Tushuizen et al.
- Yoshifumi Saisho, MD,
- Alexandra E. Butler, MD and
- Peter C. Butler, MD
- Larry Hillblom Islet Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
- Corresponding author: Peter C. Butler, Larry Hillblom Islet Research Center, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, 24-130 Warren Hall, 900 Veteran Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095-7073. E-mail: pbutler{at}mednet.ucla.edu
We read the recent paper by Tushuizen et al. (1) with interest. In that study, the authors measured pancreatic fat content by use of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 12 type 2 diabetic and 24 nondiabetic men and examined the relationship between pancreatic fat content and β-cell function. They report a negative correlation between pancreatic fat and a measure of β-cell function in nondiabetic controlsubjects (but not individuals with type 2 diabetes) and conclude that “pancreatic lipid content may contribute to β-cell dysfunction and possibly to the subsequent development of type 2 diabetes in susceptible humans.” We respectfully suggest that the report contains insufficient evidence …
