An immunofluorescence study of anti-pancreatic islet cell antibodies in the spontaneously diabetic BB Wistar rat.

Sera from BB Wistar rats and Wistar control rats were evaluated for the presence of islet cell antibodies in a prospective study using an indirect immunofluorescence assay on pancreatic islet cell suspensions from cultured rat islets. Islet cell surface antibodies were detected in sera from all animals of the spontaneously diabetic BB Wistar rat colony. The antibody could be detected well before the clinical onset of the disease and was present throughout the course of study of all diabetic animals. Sera from control Wistar rats were negative when tested for this antibody.