[Cellular immunity in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus studied using the leukocyte migration...

Disorder of the humoral and cellular immunity is of great importance in the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In 102 IDDM patients the leukocyte migration inhibition test (LMIT) with antigens from the tissue of the endocrine glands was used, permitting the detection of disorder of organ-specific cellular autoimmunity. The sensitization of lymphocytes to antigen from the pancreatic islet tissue was detected in 40.2%, to porcine insulin in 22.5%, to thyroid antigen in 16.7%, to adrenal antigen in 9.8%. Leukocyte migration inhibition to the latter two antigens in IDDM patients can serve as an early diagnostic criterion of thyroid and adrenal autoimmune lesion. HLA B8 and B18 occurred more frequently in patients with the positive LMIT, but the differences were insignificant (p greater than 0.1), HLA B15 (p less than 0.02) occurred much less frequently.