Abstract
Oral maltose tolerance tests (50g or 100g) were performed on normal subjects, diabetics, and subjects with impaired exocrine function of the pancreas. The blood sugar and IRI-responses were compared with those obtained by glucose, liquid glucose or starch tolerance tests. In normal and diabetic subjects, blood sugar and IRI-responses were almost identical in both maltose and glucose tolerance tests. Therefore, maltose tolerance tests can be judged by the same criteria as glucose tolerance tests.
However, in subjects with obstruction of the pancreatic duct or with external pancreatic drainage, hyperglycemic effect is more marked in cases receiving maltose than in those receiving an equivalent amount of liquid glucose or starch. Thus, in 4 cases, maltose tolerance test results were diabetic in contrast to “borderline” according to liquid glucose test. In a patient with chronic pancreatitis who has a low amylase output, the borderline diabetic curve by liquid glucose tolerance test was turned out to be diabetic by the maltose tolerance test.
The results indicate that maltose has less abdominal side effect than glucose and seems more sensitive than liquid glucose for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in cases with abnormal exocrine function of the pancreas. Since maltose is a physiological digestive end-product of the carbohydrate in the intestinal lumen and is absorbed as rapidly as glucose, it is thought to be an ideal substance for oral glucose tolerance tests.
