Measurement of C-peptide, a 31 amino acid peptide, is being used to further understand diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia and insulinoma. C-peptide is a byproduct formed in the process involving a series of enzymatic cleavages of preproinsulin and proinsulin, with proinsulin being the immediate precursor of insulin and C-peptide. C-peptide and insulin are known to be released in equimolar amounts from beta cells of pancreas. Since the half-life of C-peptide is about 30 minutes compared to insulin which is only about 3 minutes, measuring C-peptide may be more attractive for indirectly estimating glucose stimulated insulin secretion, understanding beta cell function and/or identifying beta cell functional mass.

The C-Peptide ELISA is a FDA registered in vitro diagnostic tool for the quantification of human C-peptide in a clinical setting or research laboratory. Utilizing a dual-monoclonal antibody sandwich ELISA format, bi-level control set, and 96-well microplate comprising removable strips, a single C-peptide ELISA kit has the performance characteristics and flexibility necessary to confidently measure up to 40 samples in duplicate. The shelf-life of the components of the C-Peptide ELISA and the resealable microplate pouch allow for convenient storage for future use if the entire kit is not needed at one time.