[Pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus]

Insulin-dependent and independent types of diabetes mellitus differ not only in clinical traits but also in some other peculiarities: a different degree of disorder of insulin secretion, relationship with the HLA system, the presence of antibodies to pancreatic islets. The latter antibodies are typical of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus whereas in insulin-independent diabetes mellitus they are absent. Autoimmune mechanisms of the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus are confirmed by the presence of different antibodies to pancreatic islets, including cytoplasmic, cell-bound, cytotoxic and immunoprecipitating antibodies. The above autoantibodies were characterized, and a hypothetical mechanism of the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was proposed.