[The interferon system in children with the initial stages of diabetes mellitus]

The content of interferon in plasma and interferon reaction of leukocytes (IRL) were studied in 28 children with initial stages of diabetes mellitus. IRL in these children was found to be the same as in controls. Some kinds of insulin: zink-insulin, protamine-zink-insulin, insulin-protamine as well as vincristin were capable of reducing in vitro the interferon-producing activity of leukocytes 3--6 fold. The content of interferon in plasma was determined in 22 children: in 20 of them the concentration of interferon was below 10 units/ml, in 2 was 10 units/ml.