title: Autoimmune insulitis. Pathological findings in experimental animal models and juvenile diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Organ-specific, species non-specific anti-pancreatic cellular immunity has been reported as a feature associated with juvenile diabetes of short duration. In order to further elucidate a possible causal relation between autoimmunity and juvenile diabetes morphological studies were made on an autopsy material from 12 juvenile onset diabetics, dying within 1 year after the onset of the disease. Each patient was compared with 2 age and sex matched controls. In the group of patients the islets of Langerhans showed the following characteristics: 1. The B cells were degranulated and present in reduced number, 2. The A cells appeared normal, 3. A lymphocytic, non-cicatricial insulitis was detected in 50% of the patients. Those findings were correlated with animal experiments, in which rats and mice were immunized with A: heterologous and homologous preparations of endocrine pancreas, in complete Freunds' adjuvant, B: heterologous and homologous insulin in complete Freunds' adjuvant, and C: complete Freunds' adjuvant. Only animals of group A developed spleen cell migration tests positive to the pancreatic preparations, lymphocytic infiltrations of the islets and degranulation of the B cells. In addition, the B cells showed ultrastructural signs of degeneration. The morphological changes were reversible and were accompanied by a transient reduction in glucose tolerance.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007114:Immunization; D007328:Insulin; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin