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SickKids

Insulin, serum or plasma

Lab area
Clinical Biochemistry - General
Method and equipment

Abbott  CI-4100

Expected turn-around time
STAT/ Urgent: 4 hours Routine: 12 hours
Specimen type

Serum, lithium heparin

Specimen requirements

250 uL

Storage and transportation

Frozen

Shipping information
The Hospital for Sick Children
Rapid Response Laboratory
555 University Avenue, Room 3642
Toronto, ON
Canada
M5G 1X8
Phone: 416-813-7200
Toll Free: 1-855-381-3212
Hours: 7 days/week, 24 hours/day
Background and clinical significance

Insulin is a polypeptide hormone (MW 6000) composed of two nonidentical chains, A and B, which are joined by two disulfide bonds. Insulin is formed from a precursor, proinsulin (MW 9000), in the beta cells of the pancreas. In proinsulin, the A and B chains are joined by a connecting peptide, referred to as the C-peptide. Both insulin and C-peptide are stored in secretory granules of the islet cells of the pancreas and are then secreted. Immunoassays for insulin have been widely used to provide supplementary information, first, for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and, second, for differential diagnosis of fasting hypoglycemia to discriminate between insulinoma and factitious hypoglycemia.

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