SUPPRESSOR CELL ACTIVITY AND BETA‐CELL FUNCTION IN INSULIN‐DEPENDENT DIABETICS

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Abstract
Immunological mechanisms may play a role in the pathogenesis of insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), and suppressor cell activity (SCA) has been found depressed at diagnosis. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether patients with preserved beta‐cell function display a different SCA than other patients. Sixteen patients without and 12 patients with beta‐cell function after averagely 9 years' duration of IDDM were examined. The suppressive effect of lymphocytes was investigated after incubation with concanavalin A followed by inactivation. Suppression was measured as the ability of the lymphocytes to inhibit 3H‐thymidine incorporation in concanavalin A stimulated normal donor lymphocytes. The main findings were: (1) No significant differences in SCA between patients with and without beta‐cell function, and none of these patient groups had SCA significantly different from normal controls. (2) A correlation between SCA and administred dose of insulin among patients without beta‐cell function. It is concluded that the actual SCA several years after diagnosis is not connected with the beta‐cell function in patients with IDDM.