Antibodies to the 37,000-Mr tryptic fragment of islet antigen were detected in Japanese insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients.

Abstract

Sera from 30 Japanese insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients of short duration were examined to determine whether they had antibodies to proteolytic fragments of islet antigen, the molecular weights of which were 37,000 and/or 40,000 Mr (37KAb). The median age and disease duration of the patients were 13 (range 6-22) years old and 12 (range; 0-24) months, respectively. Twelve out of the 30 IDDM patients (40%) had 37KAb, while none of the 16 control subjects was positive for 37KAb. The frequency of the 37KAb was not correlated with disease duration tested. We further investigated the antibodies to ICA512, by radioligand binding assay, which has been proposed to be a target antigen for the 37 KAb. Twenty-two (73.3%) patients had antibodies to ICA512 (ICA512AA), but none of the control subjects did. The levels of ICA512AA, which were described as indexes using standard sera, were significantly higher in the patients than in the control subjects (1.436 +/- 2.674 and 0.001 +/- 0.002, respectively, P < 0.05). The frequency of antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65Ab) was also higher in the patients than in the control subjects (70% and 0%, respectively), but 7 out of 9 GAD65Ab-negative patients had ICA512AA and/or 37KAb. Since 93% of the IDDM patients had at least one of these antibodies, combined analysis with 37KAb, ICA512AA, and GAD65Ab facilitates diagnosis of Japanese IDDM.