Adaptive changes in pancreatic beta cell fractional area and beta cell turnover in human pregnancy

We sought to establish the extent and basis for adaptive changes in beta cell numbers in human pregnancy.Pancreas was obtained at autopsy from women who had died while pregnant (n = 18), post-partum (n = 6) or were not pregnant at or shortly before death (controls; n = 20). Pancreases were evaluated for fractional pancreatic beta cell area, islet size and islet fraction of beta cells, beta cell replication (Ki67) and apoptosis (TUNEL), and...