The objective of the presented work was to evaluate the short-term administration of octreotide on the development, onset and persistence of remission in recent insulin-dependent diabetics. The importance of remission means for the patient a clinically favourable condition with satisfactory metabolic compensation and a greater metabolic stability during the subsequent course of the disease. The period of remission is important from the aspect of prevention of late organ complications. Two-week treatment with octreotide, 150 micrograms/day, administered during the first month after establishment of the diagnosis was not associated with serious undesirable effects. Treatment with octreotide led to more frequent development of remission, partial and complete, as compared with a control group. In the majority of diabetics in the intervened group remission started immediately after administration of octreotide. The serum value of peptide-C as part of the glucagon test made at the time of diagnosis had a predictive value for the development of induced and spontaneous remission. Octreotide administration increased the probable development of remission even in patients with a substantially lower peptide C value at the time of diagnosis as compared with controls. The preliminary results indicate also a protraction of the remission period.

Keywords: Adult; Blood Glucose /analysis/; C-Peptide /blood/; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 /blood/; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Humans; Male; Octreotide /administration & dosage/; Remission Induction