Risk Of Insulin-dependent Diabetes Research Articles

Vaccines and the risk of insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM): potential mechanism of action

Immunization with a number of different vaccines, including live and killed vaccines, has been linked to the development of insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes in humans and animals. Multiple different mechanisms have been proposed to explain the association between vaccines and diabetes. The current paper reviews multiple different mechanisms by which vaccines are known to manipulate the immune system and can induce an autoimmune disease such as type 1 diabetes. Genetic variability may determine which of these pathways, or possible other pathways, predominate in an individual following immunization.

Concordance rates of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus: a population based study of young Danish twins

To study the genetic contribution to the aetiology of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Historical cohort study of twins, with information on diabetes being gathered by questionnaire, verification of the diagnosis by the subject's diabetologist or general practitioner, and clinical examination in available twins. Danish twin register and diabetic clinics and general practices throughout Denmark. 20,888 twin pairs born during 1953-82, included in a population based nationwide register. Crude and cumulative concordance rates and heritability in monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The crude probandwise concordance rate was 0.53 (95% confidence interval 0.33 to 0.73) for monozygotic twin pairs and 0.11 (0.05 to 0.21) for dizygotic twin pairs. When adjusted for age at onset of diabetes and age at last observation among unaffected twin partners the cumulative proband-wise risk from birth to age 35 was estimated as 0.70 (0.45 to 0.95) for monozygotic twins and 0.13 (0.05 to 0.20) for dizygotic twins. The correlations of liability for monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs were estimated as 0.96 (SE 0.09) and 0.58 (0.07), with a heritability estimate of 0.72 (0.21). The risk of insulin dependent diabetes in monozygotic twins is higher than previously thought and for dizygotic twins is higher than in ordinary first degree relatives. Based on the findings of this study the genetic component to the disease seems more important than hitherto believed.

Similar Peptides from Two β Cell Autoantigens, Proinsulin and Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase, Stimulate T Cells of Individuals at Risk for Insulin-Dependent Diabetes

Insulin (1) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) (2) are both autoantigens in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), but no molecular mechanism has been proposed for their association. We have identified a 13 amino acid peptide of proinsulin (amino acids 24-36) that bears marked similarity to a peptide of GAD65 (amino acids 506-518) (G. Rudy, unpublished). In order to test the hypothesis that this region of similarity is implicated in the pathogenesis of IDDM, we assayed T cell reactivity to these two peptides in subjects at risk for IDDM. Subjects at risk for IDDM were islet cell antibody (ICA)-positive, first degree relatives of people with insulin-dependent diabetes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 10 pairs of at-risk and HLA-DR matched control subjects were tested in an in vitro proliferation assay. Reactivity to both proinsulin and GAD peptides was significantly greater among at-risk subjects than controls (proinsulin; p < 0.008; GAD; p < 0.018). In contrast to reactivity to the GAD peptide, reactivity to the proinsulin peptide was almost entirely confined to the at-risk subjects. This is the first demonstration of T cell reactivity to a proinsulin-specific peptide. In addition, it is the first example of reactivity to a minimal peptide region shared between two human autoimmune disease-associated self antigens. Mimicry between these similar peptides may provide a molecular basis for the conjoint autoantigenicity of proinsulin and GAD in IDDM.

Cellular immunity to a determinant common to glutamate decarboxylase and coxsackie virus in insulin-dependent diabetes.

Insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) results from the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Autoreactive T-lymphocytes are thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of IDD; however, the target antigens of these cells, as well as the inductive events in the disease, are unclear. PBMC in persons with or at increased risk for IDD show elevated reactivity to the beta cell enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). To identify the T-lymphocyte-reactive determinants of GAD, an overlapping set of synthetic peptides was used to stimulate the PBMC from these individuals, PBMC responsiveness to GAD peptides was not restricted to those with IDD, and a number of peptides elicited responses in PBMC. However, the major determinant of GAD recognized by persons at increased risk for IDD was amino acids 247-279, a region which has significant sequence similarity to the P2-C protein of Coxsackie B virus (47% of 15 increased risk [islet cell autoantibody-positive relatives]; 25% of 16 newly diagnosed IDD patients; and 0% of 13 healthy control subjects). Responses to tetanus and insulin antigens were not different between the study groups. In addition, PBMC from individuals responding to GAD peptides within 247-279 also responded to a Coxsackie viral peptide (i.e., P2-C amino acids 32-47), an observation supporting potential molecular mimicry in this immune response. Although the role of environmental agents in the pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear, these cellular immunological findings support the epidemiological evidence suggesting an inductive role for enteroviruses like Coxsackie B in the autoimmunity underlying IDD.

HLA-DQB1 Genotypes and Islet Cell Antibodies in the Identification of Siblings at Risk for Insulin-Dependent Diabetes (IDDM) in Finland

The risk of progression to IDDM can be evaluated by diabetes-related autoantibodies such as cytoplasmic islet cell antibodies (ICA) or genetic determinants as markers. In this prospective study we wanted to estimate the predictive value of the combination of these markers in siblings of diabetic children. A sample of 770 siblings was observed from the time of diagnosis in the index case for a median period of 5.8 years (range 0.01-7.3 years) for development of ICA and insulin autoantibodies (IAA) and progression to clinical diabetes. The most important susceptibility and protection associated DQB1 alleles were defined by four sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes. DNA samples were available from 89 originally non-diabetic ICA positive siblings of whom 28 presented with IDDM during the study period, as well 100 randomly chosen ICA negative control siblings. More than half (11/28; 55%) of the siblings who had the high risk DQB1 genotypes progressed to clinical IDDM compared to 6/37 (16%) of those who had protective/neutral genotypes (P = 0.006). Of all genotyped secondary cases, 36% (n = 33) had a genotype associated with the highest risk (DQB1*0302/0201), whereas 27% had genotypes without any susceptibility alleles (P values < 0.0001 and = 0.0002, respectively, compared with ICA negative siblings). The results demonstrate the feasibility of the combination of genetic and immunological markers in the prediction of the risk for IDDM within families.

Two subsets of HLA-DQA1 alleles mark phenotypic variation in levels of insulin autoantibodies in first degree relatives at risk for insulin-dependent diabetes.

Levels of insulin autoantibodies (IAA) vary among different first degree relatives of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients, suggesting genetic regulation. We previously reported elevated IAA among DR4-positive at risk relatives. In this study, 72/82 at risk relatives were IAA positive, of whom 75% (54/72) carried DR4 versus 20% (2/10) of IAA-negative relatives (P = 0.0004). However, 69% (18/26) of DR4-negative relatives were IAA positive. Since DR4 did not account for all IAA positivity, we analyzed DQA1 and DQB1 alleles. Homozygosity for DQA1 alleles deriving from the evolutionary lineage 4 (*0401, *0501, *0601) was associated with low IAA levels, while lineage 1-3 alleles (*0101, *0102, *0103, *0201, *0301) correlated with higher levels. Most (93%, 65/70) relatives with lineage 1-3 alleles were IAA positive (mean = 360 +/- 63 SEM nU/ml). Only 7/12 relatives homozygous for lineage 4 alleles were IAA-positive, with lower levels than relatives with lineage 1-3 alleles (mean = 55 +/- 15 SEM nU/ml, P < 0.0001; 7/12 vs 65/70, P = 0.004). The amino acid sequences of lineage 1-3 alleles uniquely share glutamic acid (E) and phenylalanine (F) at positions 40 and 51 (EF alleles). Lineage 4 alleles have glycine (G) and leucine (L) at those positions (GL alleles). 90% (65/72) of IAA-positive relatives had an EF allele, while only 75% (54/72) had DR4 (P = 0.01). Homozygosity for GL alleles (often DQA1 *0501 on DR3 haplotypes) correlated with little or no humoral response to insulin. Thus, HLA-DQB1 GL alleles, or other genes on haplotypes (e.g., DR3) that carry these DQA1 alleles, may confer recessive low responsiveness to insulin.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase 67-reactive T cells: a marker of insulin-dependent diabetes.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) has been shown to be a target of autoantibodies in insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD). Two forms of GAD, with molecular weights of 67,000 and 65,000, have been cloned from separate genes. As pancreatic islet beta cell destruction DD is an autoimmune process mediated by T cells, we sought to determine if recombinant GAD67 was recognized by T cells in IDD subjects and particularly their first-degree relatives with islet cell antibodies known to be at risk for IDD. The central regions of human islet and brain GAD67 (amino acids 208-404) were cloned as fusion proteins with glutathione-S-transferase (GST). Proliferation of peripheral blood T cells in the presence of recombinant GAD67 was significantly higher in both at-risk relatives and recent-onset IDD subjects than in other autoimmune disease subjects and human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched healthy controls. Thus, 12 of 29 (41%) at-risk relatives and 11 of 29 (38%) recent-onset IDD subjects responded to GAD67, compared with 1 of 7 (14%) other autoimmune disease subjects and 1 of 23 (4%) HLA-matched controls. T cell responses to GST alone or to tetanus toxoid were not different between the groups. These findings demonstrate that GAD67 is a target autoantigen of T cells in IDD and suggest the possibility that GAD-reactive T cells may delineate asymptomatic subjects at increased risk for IDD.

Islet cell cytoplasmic autoantibody reactivity to glutamate decarboxylase in insulin-dependent diabetes.

Individuals with or at risk for insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) frequently have autoantibodies against an islet cell cytoplasmic (ICA) antigen thought to be a sialoglycolipid. However, we now report that preabsorption of ICA-positive sera with recombinant glutamate decarboxylase (human GAD 65 and/or GAD 67) reduced or blocked the ICA reactivity of 5/18 (27%) new-onset IDD patients and 7/18 (39%) prediabetics. Interestingly, nondiabetic subjects with ICA of > or = 5 yr in duration had GAD-reactive ICA significantly more often (16/24, 67%, P < 0.04) than the diabetic groups. ICA reactivity to GAD was not related to serum ICA titer nor the age of the individual, and in all cases tested was blocked by GAD 65 or GAD 67 with equivalent efficiency. The ICA observed in 21/25 (84%) IDD patients with ICA long after clinical onset of disease (9-42 yr) was reactive to GAD. A natural history analysis of three individuals showed conversions from ICA which was reactive to GAD to a non-GAD-reactive ICA nearer to their clinical onsets of IDD. This study further defines the autoantigens reactive to ICA, and suggests that, whereas ICA that are not reactive to GAD may identify an advanced and more prognostic lesion, GAD-reactive ICA may typify the early or inductive lesion that may or may not progress to clinically significant beta cell injury.

A 64 kDa antigen/glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in fetal pig pro-islets: Co-precipitation with a 38 kDa protein and recognition by T cells in humans at risk for insulin-dependent diabetes

The development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is associated with circulating antibodies to a pancreatic islet protein of MW 64,000 (64 kDa), reported to be glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). To investigate the antigenic properties of the 64 kDa antigen/GAD in IDDM we employed fetal pig pro-islets, a convenient source of islet antigens and an alternative to adult human islets for transplantation. Pro-islets contained a 64 kDa protein precipitated by antibodies in the sera of 9 14 (64%) at-risk IDDM, 12 33 (36%) recent-onset IDDM and 4 12 (33%) established IDDM patients and in 1 18 (5%) healthy control subjects. In addition, a 38 kDa protein was co-precipitated with the 64 kDa protein by 6 14 (43%) at-risk IDDM, 5 33 (12%) recent-onset IDDM, 1 12 (8%) established IDDM patient sera and 1 18 (5%) control subject serum. Both 64 kDa and 38 kDa antigens were specific to pro-islets; neither was detected in fetal pig thyrocytes, hepatocytes or splenocytes. The majority of the 64 kDa protein was co-precipitated with GAD enzymatic activity from pro-islets by either IDDM sera or a sheep anti-GAD serum. Previously, we showed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from over half the subjects defined as being at risk for IDDM proliferate in response to fetal pig pro-islets. Proliferative responses of PBMC from pre-diabetic subjects to a crude extract of pro-islets were therefore measured before and after depletion of GAD by adsorption of the extract against GAD-1 monoclonal antibody. In 5 10 at-risk subjects, T cell stimulation indices were greater than the control mean+2 SD and decreased in four by > 50% after depletion of GAD. In summary, a 64 kDa protein with the properties of GAD is present in fetal pig pro-islets and is recognized by both antibodies and T cells in a significant proportion of subjects at risk for early IDDM. Some subjects with anti-64 kDa antibodies also have antibodies that co-precipitate a 38 kDa pro-islet protein. Prospective studies of T cell reactivity in at-risk IDDM subjects are required to delineate the role of GAD and other candidate autoantigens in the initiation and progression of β cell destruction.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in native Estonians and immigrants to Estonia.

The authors compared the epidemiology of childhood insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Estonia during 1980-1989 between native Estonians and an immigrant group that consisted mainly of Russians. The average annual incidence of diabetes mellitus was significantly higher in Estonians (11.8 per 100,000 children aged less than 15 years; 95% confidence interval (CI) 10.4-13.3) than in non-Estonians (7.6 per 100,000 children aged less than 15; 95% CI 6.2-9.4). This difference appeared in both sexes. The highest incidence in both Estonians and non-Estonians was recorded in 1982, when the incidence in the immigrant population was twice as high as the baseline level. These data indicate that immigrant populations need not acquire the same risk of insulin-dependent diabetes as the native population.

Increased T lymphocytes bearing the gamma-delta T cell receptor in subjects at high risk for insulin dependent diabetes

The effector mechanisms responsible for autoimmune β cell destruction in insulin dependent (type 1) diabetes (IDD) remain elusive. In order to investigate whether T lymphocytes bearing the gamma-delta T cell receptor (γδ + T cells) could be involved in this process, we measured percentages of peripheral blood γδ + T cells in IDD patients, relatives of IDD probands and controls. High levels of γδ + T cells strongly differentiated 23 relatives at high risk for IDD on the basis of positive islet cell autoantibodies (ICA positive relatives) from 59 controls ( P = 0.0013), whereas 26 ICA negative relatives, 14 recent-onset and nine long term IDD patients could not be distinguished from controls on the basis of percentages of γδ + T cells. These data suggest that increased levels of circulating γδ + T cells correlate with the ongoing autoimmune process in pancreatic islets of subjects at high risk for IDD and may thus represent an additional marker for the development of the disease.

Incidence and Significance of Islet Cell Antibodies in Women With Previous Gestational Diabetes

Islet cell antibodies (ICAs) are markers for patients at risk for insulin-dependent diabetes and are associated with progressive beta-cell destruction. This prospective study was performed to estimate the incidence of these antibodies in 187 women with previous gestational diabetes. With a specific protein A monoclonal antibody (MoAb) assay, the incidence of ICAs was only 1.6% (3 of 187). Oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed in these 3 women and compared with 6 women with previous gestational diabetes without ICAs and 5 control women. Glucose tolerance was impaired only in the 3 women with ICAs, who also had an increase (P less than 0.03) in fasting plasma glucose and a decrease (P less than 0.03) in early first-phase insulin response. We conclude that the more specific MoAb method indicates a lower incidence of ICA in women with a history of gestational diabetes than previously reported and that a decreased first-phase insulin response is associated with the presence of ICAs, suggesting progressive islet cell damage.

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ISLET CELL ANTIBODIES

In spite of the potential assay problems, a relatively clear general picture concerning islet cell antibodies has emerged. They are undoubtedly the most potent indicator of risk for insulin-dependent diabetes, at least among high-risk persons (that is, first-degree relatives of insulin-dependent diabetics). Islet cell antibodies have been the focus of intense research scrutiny over the last decade, yet their etiologic role remains unclear. In patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, there is no striking relation at onset between islet cell antibodies and determinants such as age and HLA type. Certain characteristics, however, may be related to islet cell autoimmunity in a more complex way. There appears to be some racial difference in onset-related islet cell antibody prevalence and other autoimmunity. The observation that autoimmune abnormalities are more frequent among women and among diabetics leads to the question of whether there is an interaction of sex and autoimmune diabetes. There may be a group of early-onset patients, distinguished by persistent islet cell antibodies or coexistent autoimmune phenomena, who are predominantly female. At present, there is only limited evidence for this in the literature: Bottazzo et al. found that juvenile diabetics with persistent islet cell antibodies were more often female. Female diabetics have been shown to have an increased prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies compared with male diabetics. Several observations of differences based on sex have emerged from recent studies of insulin-dependent diabetes: 1) the HLA-DR4 antigen is more frequent among female diabetic patients; 2) male HLA-identical siblings of diabetics have a lowered insulin response to glucose administered intravenously; 3) in areas of low insulin-dependent diabetes incidence, the patterns of onset by age differ markedly between the sexes. These sex-specific differences may help to clarify the relation between islet cell autoimmunity and sex. Among nondiabetic persons, those having the highest genetic "risk" for disease appear to have an increased prevalence of islet cell antibodies. There is also some indication that HLA-DR3 may be associated with islet cell autoimmunity. Other related diseases, notably gestational diabetes, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, and certain autoimmune endocrinopathies, are associated with an increased prevalence of islet cell antibodies. An increase in islet cell antibody prevalence occurs in certain viral infections, particularly mumps and congenital rubella. Islet cell antibodies have been noted in the sera of subjects many years before the onset of insulin-dependent diabetes, as well as in normoglycemic relatives.

Student mental health from a layman's perspective.

Abstract “Differences in Risk of Insulin-Dependent Diabetes in Offspring of Diabetic Mothers and Diabetic Fathers,” James H. Warren, et al. To examine the role of heritable factors in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), we studied the incidence of IDDM-in the offspring of patients with the disease who were identified by the medical records of the Joslin Diabetes Center from 1928 to 1939. We found 187 survivors who, after the diagnosis of IDDM, had produced 419 offspring for whom information about diabetes status was available. By the age of 20, 6.1 per cent of the offspring of the 88 men had diabetes; in contrast, only 1.3 per cent of the offspring of the 99 women had the disease by the age of 20 (P < 0.05). Daughters and sons of the men with IDDM were affected equally (there were insufficient numbers of affected offspring of diabetic women to permit determination of whether the sexes were equally affected). We conclude that IDDM is transmitted less frequently to the offspring of diabetic women th...

Differences in risk of insulin-dependent diabetes in offspring of diabetic mothers and diabetic fathers.

To examine the role of heritable factors in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), we studied the incidence of IDDM in the offspring of patients with the disease who were identified by the medical records of the Joslin Diabetes Center from 1928 to 1939. We found 187 survivors who, after the diagnosis of IDDM, had produced 419 offspring for whom information about diabetes status was available. By the age of 20, 6.1 per cent of the offspring of the 88 men had diabetes; in contrast, only 1.3 per cent of the offspring of the 99 women had the disease by the age of 20 (P less than 0.05). Daughters and sons of the men with IDDM were affected equally (there were insufficient numbers of affected offspring of diabetic women to permit determination of whether the sexes were equally affected). We conclude that IDDM is transmitted less frequently to the offspring of diabetic women than to those of diabetic men. More study is required to determine whether this difference reflects a genetic mechanism or, instead, selective perinatal loss of the affected offspring of diabetic mothers.

Empirical risk for insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) in sibs. Further definition of genetic heterogeneity

Empirical risk for insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) in sibs. Further definition of genetic heterogeneity