Abstract
To study the clinical significance of complement system in diabetics, fragments of complement (C4d, iC3b, & Bb) in plasma samples of 72 patients were measured.
Diabetic subjects were divided into four groups as follows. Patients without complications (group F n=35), with retiropathy (group R n=14), with nephropathy (group N n=12), under hemodialysis (group DHD n=11) and normal healthy controls (group H n=25).
The results were summarized as following four points.
1) In group F, the values of C4d, iC3 & Bb were significantly increased compared with those of group H. These results suggested that complements were activated through classical and alternative pathway in diabetics.
2) Complement fragments levels of group R showed significantly higher than those of group H.
3) In group N, the values of C4d and iC3b were higher than those in both group F and R. From these facts, increase of complement activation through classical pathway might be related to the diabetic nephropathy.
4) In group DHD, C4d, iC3b & Bb were significantly higher than those in group H. It was suggested that both classical and alternative pathway of complement system were activated in this group.
