Increased levels of circulating immune complexes are not associated with diabetes in BB rats

Increased levels of circulating immune complexes (IC) have been described in insulin-dependent diabetic (IDD) patients at the time of diagnosis. The aim of the present study was to test whether the spontaneously diabetic BB rat had changes in IC levels at different ages prior to and at onset of IDDM as compared with diabetes resistant BB rats and normal Wistar Furth rats. The IC levels were related to serum IgG concentration as well as to total peripheral blood lymphocyte counts. Three groups of rats with 12 animals in each were followed: Diabetes-prone, lymphopenic (DP) BB rats with an expected high incidence of diabetes, diabetes-resistant (DR) BB rats from the non-diabetic w-subline, and Wistar Furth rats. Blood samples collected on 12, 22, 29, 43, 71, and 99 days of age were analyzed for IC, detected in a solid phase C1q assay, serum IgG levels, and peripheral blood lymphocytes. Diabetes developed in 8/12 (66%) DP BB rats between 70 and 93 days of age while none of the DR BB rats developed diabetes. The levels of IC tended to increase with age in all three groups of rats and did not differ between DP BB and Wistar rats whereas DR BB rats had significantly higher levels (p less than 0.05-0.01) at all ages. The profile of serum IgG was similar in all rats showing a high level at 12 days of age and a nadir at day 29 followed by an increase from day 43 until the end of the follow-up period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)