Advances in the clinical measurement of glucagon: from diagnosis to therapy

Glucagon has many functions: it promotes glucose production, fatty acid oxidation, thermogenesis, energy consumption, lipolysis, and myocardial contraction, and suppresses lipogenesis, appetite, and gastrointestinal motility. Which of these functions are physiological and which are pharmacological is not fully understood. Although the Mercodia sandwich ELISA provides significantly higher specificity of glucagon measurement than does conventional competitive RIA, it cannot provide accurate plasma glucagon values in the presence of elevated cross-reacting plasma glicentin. This occurs in patients post-pancreatectomy or bariatric surgery and in around 30