Changes in proteins and lipoproteins in diabetes and their relationship to vascular degeneration.

The 97 subje ts studied have been grouped in 7 classes (table 1): class 1, 30 normal subjects, 16 to 48 years old, without clinical signs of atherosclerosis; class 2, 27 older subjects (aged 36 to 93) with clinical signs of atherosclerosis; classes 3 to 7, 40 diabetic subjects, 10 being without clinical signs of vascular degeneration, the others presenting various vascular complications. The last class includes 5 cases with albumiinuria, hypertension and retinopathy, suggesting the diagnosis of Kimiaiiielstiel-Wilson glomieruloselerosis; 2 cases were verified at autopsy. Protein electrophoresis was performed by the method of Dustin' on Whatiman paper no. 1 strips, which were stained with bromophenol blue alid read after elution of the chromogenic material. EIlectrophoresis of the lipoproteins was effected with the same apparatus and paper, 0.15 imil. of serum being used per test; staining was carried out by the method of Jencks and Durrui112 for 20 hours in 60 per cent alcohol saturated with oil red 0. The strips were washed with tap water and read after elution with 20 per cent acetic alcohol. With this method electrophoresis for 61/2 hours at 300 volts yields well separated aand /3-lipoprotein fractions. In order to esti-