We were interested in assessing whether patients with T2DM or post-gastrectomy secreted a different ratio of des-31,32 proinsulin to insulin after glucose ingestion, speculating that the T2DM group might have beta cells damaged by chronic hyperglycaemia and hyperstimulation, compared with the gastrectomy group who only exhibit beta cell hypersecretion in the post-prandial state and have largely normal glucose levels. Here, INS is linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus.