[Receptor binding of insulin to erythrocytes in healthy women and in patients with diabetes mellitus during pregnancy].

125I-insulin binding with specific receptors on the blood erythrocytes studied in 10 nonpregnant women with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus resistant to insulin therapy (a mean daily dose of insulin was 155.0 +/- 32.4 units) and in 15 pregnant women (the 3rd term of pregnancy) with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus was much lower than that in healthy nonpregnant (n-20) and pregnant (n-10) women. This reduction was determined by a decrease in the number of binding sites on the blood erythrocytes in patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, especially in those who received large loses of insulin beyond the period of pregnancy. In the third term of pregnancy erythrocyte insulin binding both in the healthy women and in the patients was higher than that in respective groups of nonpregnant women, and this rise showed correlation with an increase in the number of cell receptors whereas receptor affinity to insulin in that period was lowered.