[Antigenicity of the glomerular basement membrane of longtime diabetics]

8 rabbits were immunized with isolated fractions of renal glomerular basement membrane of 18 human diabetics and 18 human controls. The antisera were tested with the indirect immunofluorescence at frozen kidney sections of 31 longtime diabetics and 31 controls. One part of the sera was absorbed with isolated glomerular basement membrane of both groups before. In 30% of the diabetics we found antigens which were not observed in controls. Therefore, we conclude that a part of the diabetics produce not only too much but also a changed extracellular matrix in the glomeruli.