Abstract
We studied the insulin binding of erythrocytes from 26 “wellcontrolled” (FBG<120mg/dl), and 28 “poorly-controlled” (FBG<120mg/dl) non-obese diabetic patients, and 51 age-matched normal subjects. The capacity of insulin receptors was significantly decreased in well controlled (33.7±2.2) and poorly controlled (32.4±2.3) groups compared with normal subjects (43.1±2.3sites/cell), while fasting insulin levels of diabetics were comparable to normal subjects but their insulin response to a glucose challenge was considerably decreased. However, the “empty sites” affinity (Ke) was significatnly increased in both the well controlled group (5.2±0.3) and the poorly controlled group (4.8±0.3) compared with normal subjects (4.0±0.2×108M-1). Thus, the capacity of insulin receptors to bind erythrycytes was decreased but binding affinity was increased in hypoinsulinemic diabetics. The amount of insulin bound in well-controlled diabetics was comparable to that in control subjects at physiological insulin concentrations.
