THE SERUM POLYSACCHARIDES IN DIABETIC PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT DEGENERATIVE VASCULAR DISEASE

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Abstract
The concns. of total nonglucosamine polysaccharides bound to serum protein, of serum glucosamine, and of protein (tyrosine) and nonglucosamine polysaccharide of serum mucoprotein were measured in 66 patients with diabetes mellitus. The values obtained in 14 patients who were free from clinically detectable degenerative vascular disease were within normal limits. In 52 patients with degenerative vascular complications, including retinopathy, neuropathy, occlusive coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease, nonglucosamine polysaccharides bound to serum protein, and serum glucosamine were increased in amt. These levels were not significantly influenced by the presence of hypertension, proteinuria and renal insufficiency. In patients with renal involvement there were wide variations in the carbohydrate to protein ratio of the serum mucoprotein, which remained normal and relatively constant in diabetic patients without renal in-volvement. The data obtained reveal that increased serum levels of certain polysaccharide substances in diabetic patients are associated with the existence of degenerative vascular complications rather than with the primary metabolic defect in diabetes mellitus.