Muscle Capillary Basement-Membrane Thickness and Long-Term Glycemia in Type I Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

We explored the relation between the thickness of the quadriceps-muscle capillary basement membrane and the glycemia level in 102 young patients with Type I diabetes (median age, 17 years; range, 12 to 29). Membrane thickness was measured in serial biopsy specimens obtained after two consecutive 2 1/2-year observation periods, and glycemia was assessed in terms of glycosylated hemoglobin and fasting blood glucose levels determined at eight-week intervals.