A static glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (sGSIS) assay that is significantly predictive of time to diabetes reversal in the human islet bioassay.

INTRODUCTION: Static incubation (static glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, sGSIS) is a measure of islet secretory function. The Stimulation Index (SI; insulin produced in high glucose/insulin produced in low glucose) is currently used as a product release criterion of islet transplant potency.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Our hypothesis was that the Delta, insulin secreted in high glucose minus insulin secreted in low glucose, would be more predictive. To evaluate this hypothesis, sGSIS was performed on 32 consecutive human islet preparations, immobilizing the islets in a slurry of Sepharose beads to minimize mechanical perturbation. Simultaneous full-mass subrenal capsular transplants were performed in chemically induced diabetic immunodeficient mice. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine optimal cut-points for diabetes reversal time and the Fisher Exact Test was used to assess the ability of the Delta and the SI to accurately classify transplant outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed on cut-point grouped data, assessing the predictive power and optimal cut-point for each sGSIS potency metric. Finally, standard Kaplan-Meier-type survival analysis was conducted.

RESULTS: In the case of the sGSIS the Delta provided a superior islet potency metric relative to the SI. Conclusions The sGSIS Delta value is predicitive of time to diabetes reversal in the full mass human islet transplant bioassay.