RESUMO
It has been suggested that antibodies to bovine serum albumin may participate in the autoimmune process leading to the destruction of pancreatic islets. In the present study the frequency of antibodies to bovine serum albumin (BSA-Ab) in 45 children with newly diagnosed diabetes type 1, 32 children with diabetes lasting from 1-10 years and 65 healthy children was evaluated. BSA-Ab were determined by fluoroimmunometric method. The average value of fluorescence intensity 19 children with newly diagnosed diabetes type 1, who feeding mother's milk was 2037 x 10(3) +/- 898 x 10(3) impulse of fluorescence per minute (IMF) and was significant lower than the average value of fluorescence intensity of children with newly diagnosed diabetes type 1, who feeding artificiality. Antibodies to bovine serum albumin were found in 10% of children with newly diagnosed diabetes type 1, who feeding at the first six months of their life mother's milk, in 42% of children with newly diagnosed diabetes type 1, who feeding artificially and 3% of healthy children.