Oxygen-binding characteristics of erythrocyte in children with type I diabetes mellitus of different duration.

Oxygen-binding properties of erythrocyte hemoglobin were studied in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus by Raman spectroscopy. The content of hemoglobin-oxygen complexes increased significantly only in children with lasting disease (more than 1 year); oxygen-binding capacity of hemoglobin is significantly changed, while its capacity to release oxygen remained unchanged. These changes were paralleled by alteration of hemoglobin affinity for oxygen. The area and content of hemoglobin were studied by laser interference microscopy. Hemoglobin content increased significantly in erythrocytes of patients with a more than 1-year history of type 1 diabetes mellitus. In these children, a significant inverse correlation between oxyhemoglobin fraction, oxygen binding capacity, and cholesterol content was found, this clinical parameter positively correlated with affinity for oxygen measured by Raman spectroscopy.