Abstract
To the Editor:
Shapiro et al. (Sept. 28 issue)
1
report that in patients with type 1 diabetes who have refractory hypoglycemia, islet transplantation using the Edmonton protocol most often provides endogenous insulin secretion (basal C-peptide secretion, ≥0.3 ng per milliliter) without insulin independence but that this partial beta-cell function provides protection against severe hypoglycemia. Several aspects of this report warrant comment. First, the authors do not state the frequency of hypoglycemia in the recipients before islet transplantation, nor do they report the frequency of hypoglycemia in control subjects. The actual reduction in the risk of severe hypoglycemia is therefore unclear. . . .
