[Circulating immune complexes and insulin-binding capacity of the serum of diabetics].

In 60 diabetes mellitus patients the circulating immune complexes revealed during sedimentation with polyethylene glycol, were compared with the insulin binding capacity and the levels of free and total insulin. The circulating immune complexes were detected in 15 patients, the frequency of the immune complexes in type I and II diabetes mellitus being the same. The serum insulin binding capacity, the level of total insulin and the ration of total and free insulin were much higher in the patients on a long-term insulin therapy than in those who started to receive insulin and in untreated patents. The insulin binding capacity and the insulin nonspecific binding reflecting the level of antibodies to insulin, did not correlate with the level of the immune complexes. However in type I diabetes mellitus patients the level of bound insulin showed good correlation with the level of the circulating immune complexes. The circulating immune complexes revealed during sedimentation with polyethylene glycol, reflected, in particular, insulin binding to antibodies.