[Anti-islet cell antibodies in insulin-dependent diabetics. Preliminary study].

Anti-islet cell cytoplasm antibodies (ICA) were noted in the serum of insulin-dependent diabetics, but not in subjects with insulin-independent forms. These antibodies seem to represent an immunological marker for two forms of the disease, one in which ICA appears shortly after onset and later disappears, and another ("autoimmune") form in which ICA is detectable for long periods and persists along with other signs of alteration of the immune system.