Type II diabetes, amyloid in pancreatic islets

A photomicrograph of a section through the pancreas of a patient with Type II diabetes, showing amorphous amyloid (pink) replacing more than 80% of islet cells. The remaining beta cells are labelled brown, nuclei blue. Although more than 90% Type 2 diabetic patients have at least one islet with amyloid, not all islets are affected in all subjects. Therefore, amyloid and reduction of beta cell mass is not a determining factor for onset of Type 2 diabetes.