Relationships of the Serum ILA in 103 diabeticpatients to their clinical manifestations were studied. The serum ILA was measured by glucose uptake of rat epididymal fat pad. Serum samples were obtained at fasting, one two and three hours following oral administration of 100 g glucose.
Results were as follows:
1) In 6 healthy people chosen as controls, the serum ILA ranged from 125 to 217μU/ml at fasting, and from 324 to 722μU/ml after glucose administration. In diabetics, the serum ILA levels varied widely, ranging from 37 to 538μU/ml at fasting and from 37 to 1980 μU/ml after glucose administration.
2) The mean fasting ILA levels in diabetics were higher than in normal subjects. Elevation of the fasting ILA was observed more clearly in mild diabetic patients than in severe patients.
3) There was a significant correlation between ΔILA (difference between the ILA at fasting and the ILA one hour after glucose loading) and glucose tolerance in diabetic patients. The ΔILA values were higher in mild diabetics than in severe cases.
4) The ΔILA values of diabetics were significantly greater in obese, tolbutamide-responsive cases and those patients under good control of the diabetes.
5) The ΔILA values were lower in the patients with diabetic retinopathy severer than grade III. However, ΔILA values were not different between the patients with mild retinopathy and those without retinopathy.
6) Juvenile diabetics and the patients with abnormal liver function had lower ΔILA values.
7) Although there was some relationship between the glucose tolerance test and the fasting ILA levels, there was no significant correlation of the fasting ILA levels to other clinical manifestations of diabetes.
These results indicate that the change of serum ILA after glucose administration is the better parameter than the fasting ILA for the evaluation of the diabetic state.