Acid phosphatase in peripheral blood lymphocyte lysosomes in patients with diabetes mellitus.

In 55 patients with diabetes mellitus metabolically balanced the activity and intracellular localization of acid phosphatase has been estimated by means of semiquantitative method of Barka and Anderson [3] in peripheral blood lymphocytes. It has been shown that patients in question, both insulin-dependent and those with overweight, in comparison to control group, exhibit more than twofold lower numbers of lymphocytes having intact enzyme positive lysosomes and more than twofold higher numbers of that cells with damaged lysosomes and extralysosomal localisation of the enzyme. According to authors suggestion the above changes may be associated with disturbed lymphocyte functions in the patients with diabetes mellitus.