PATIENTS WITH TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS WHO DEVELOP SECONDARY FAILURE TO ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC AGENTS IN COMPARISON WITH THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFULLY CONTROLLED BY ORAL HYPOGLYCEMIC AGENTS HAVE: I) HIGHER PREVALENCE OF POSITIVE ISLET CELL ANTIBODIES. II) REDUCED SECRETORY CAPACITY OF B CELLS. IN PATIENTS WITH SECONDARY FAILURE THOSE WITH POSITIVE ICA I) ARE CHARACTERISED BY SHORTER DIABETES DURATION AND LOWER BODY WEIGHT IN COMPARISON WITH THOSE WITH SECONDARYFAILURE AND ISLET CELL ANTIBODIES NEGATIVE, II) FORM A SPECIAL SUBGROUP WHICHIS CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED FROM ICA NEGATIVE PATIENTS WITH SECONDARY FAILURE BY THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS: 1) DEVELOPMENT OF DM IN OLDER AGE WITH MILD SYMPTOMS BUT HIGH TITERS OF ISLET CELL ANTIB...