Interpretation

To compare insulin and C-peptide concentrations (ie, insulin to C-peptide ratio):

-Convert insulin to pmol/L: insulin concentration in mcIU/mL x 6.945 = insulin concentration in pmol/L

-Convert C-peptide to pmol/L: C-peptide concentration in ng/mL x 331 = C-peptide concentration in pmol/L

Factitious hypoglycemia due to surreptitious insulin administration results in elevated serum insulin levels and low or undetectable C-peptide levels, with a clear reversal of the physiological molar insulin to C-peptide ratio (≤1) to an insulin to C-peptide ratio of greater than 1. By contrast, insulin and C-peptide levels are both elevated in insulinoma and the insulin to C-peptide molar ratio is 1 or less. Sulfonylurea ingestion also is associated with preservation of the insulin to C-peptide molar ratio of 1 or less.

In patients with insulin autoantibodies, the insulin to C-peptide ratio may be reversed to greater than 1, because of the prolonged half-life of autoantibody-bound insulin.

Dynamic testing may be necessary in the workup of hypoglycemia; the C-peptide suppression test is most frequently employed. C-peptide levels are measured following induction of hypoglycemia through exogenous insulin administration. The test relies on the demonstration of the lack of suppression of serum C-peptide levels within 2 hours following insulin-induced hypoglycemia in patients with insulinoma.

Reference intervals have not been formally verified in-house for pediatric patients. The published literature indicates that reference intervals for adult and pediatric patients are comparable.