[C-peptide levels in secondary sulfonylurea resistant diabetics].

In the presence of clinical features of secondary drug failure--even after reeducation on diet and intensive control of patients--is difficult to make a decision to switch on insulin. Therefore the serum C-peptide concentrations were assessed in order to get supporting data. From 35 patients with suspected secondary drug failure the therapy of 11 patients was continued with insulin, 24 patients remained on glibenclamide therapy.

The effect of azathioprine, cyclosporine A and insulin on the in vitro lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity in type I diabetic patients.

Previously both specific and nonspecific immune reactions have been reported in patients with type I diabetes mellitus. In this study the effect of various immunosuppressive drugs and insulin was studied on in vitro lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity in 20 type I diabetic patients. Twenty sex- and age-matched healthy subjects served as controls.

Human pancreatic extract and rat pancreatic islet homogenate-coated chicken erythrocytes as targets of lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity in type I diabetic patients.

In this study 51Cr-labeled chicken erythrocytes coated with human pancreatic extract or rat pancreatic islet homogenate served as target cells for the detection of lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity in type I-diabetics. T-lymphocytes from type I-diabetic patients showed a significant cytotoxic capacity against target cells coated with human antigens as well as rat pancreatic islet homogenate. The frequency and intensity of cytotoxicity proved to be similar against the two types of targets.

Immune reactions in patients with type I and with type II diabetes mellitus.

Since several data refer to the role of immune processes in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus, this study was performed to compare aspecific and specific immune reactions in type I- and in type II diabetic patients over a six month period. The percentage and the absolute number of SRBC-rosette forming active E(A), of theophylline-resistant E(Thr) and of ORCB-rosette forming T(M)-cell subsets proved to be elevated in newly diagnosed type I but reduced in type II diabetic patients. Also an elevated percentage of HLA-DR positive, activated T cells was found in the majority of recent-onset type I diabetics.

T-lymphocyte subsets and their cytotoxic capacity in patients with type I and type II diabetes mellitus.

Distribution and cytotoxic function of lymphocyte subpopulations were studied in 20 patients with type I, in 20 patients with type II diabetes mellitus and in 40 control subjects. The percentage, the absolute number of (EA), (E Thr), (TM) subsets and the rate of (E Thr) (E Ths) and (TM/) (TG) cells were found to be higher in type I and lower in type II diabetic patients than in controls. This opposite tendency in the distribution of T-lymphocyte subsets may be related to the duration of diabetes.

Serum lipids during starvation in obesity.

The HDL-cholesterol level was found to decrease during the first week of therapeutic starvation in hyperlipoproteinaemic (hypertriglyceridaemic), diabetic (non-insulin dependent) patients. The possible causes of the finding are discussed, and the view is expressed that the fall in HDL given no cause for discontinuing the caloric restriction or starvation as the therapeutic measures in obesity.

Alterations of the basal serum insulin and blood glucose in brain-injured patients.

Serial fasting blood glucose and basal serum insulin were measured in brain-injured patients. The endocrine changes were compared with the level of consciousness. Evaluating the serial examinations of 92 brain-injured and 31 control patients we came to the following conclusions.

Carbohydrate metabolism in various types of hyperlipoproteinaemia.

Insulin secretion has been studied after an oral glucose load in 81 patients with primary hyperlipoproteinaemia and 15 control sugjects. Glucose tolerance was reduced mainly in Type IV, and to a lesser extent in Type IIB hyperlipoproteinaemia. Insulin secretory response to glucose was reduced in Type V and heterogeneous in Type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia.

Basal and insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism of isolated human fat cells.

Glucose-U-14C-activity added to the incubation medium of isolated human fat cells was studied for its conversion to CO2 and its incorporation into fat cell triglyceride. In view of the wide scatter of the figures found under basal conditions as well as in the presence of 100 muU/ml of insulin, the correlations of fat cell glucose metabolism to ponderal index, total body fat mass weight, mean fat cell diameter, fat cell TG-content and age were analysed. The activity of glucose metabolism in obese individuals was found to be inversely related to the degree of obesity under basal conditions as well as under the effect of insulin.