Abstract

Autoimmunity Markers in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Author(s): Piatkiewicz P, Hajduk JL, Chow KL, Kowrach M and Kuszyk JC

Introduction: Diabetes is a growing social and epidemiological problem. Frequent diabetes complications occurrence has an impact on a higher percentage prevalence of the cardiovascular, kidneys, nervous system and vision diseases.
Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of immunological markers in patients with type 2 diabetes: the anti-GAD, ANA, AMA, ASMA, APCA, and LKM compared to healthy subjects. Another objective of the study was to evaluate the correlation between their presence and the degree of metabolic control in both groups.
Material and Methods: The study included 50 subjects aged 40-75 years with a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 20-30 kg/m2 with previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes. The control group consisted of 21 healthy individuals without a diagnosis of neither diabetes nor a prediabetic state. All the study participants had the examined antibodies determined along with the panel of biochemical tests and neurological examination for diabetic neuropathy and fundus examination.
Results: Anti-GAD antibodies were present in 16% of patients with type 2 diabetes. The presence of ANA antibodies was found in 22% subjects. There was no correlation between the presence of ANA antibodies and diabetic microvascular complications. ASMA and APCA antibodies occurred with equal frequency in studied groups (4% vs. 10%). There were no antibodies of AMA or anti-LKM in any of the patients.
Conclusion: The presence of studied autoantibodies in patients with type 2 diabetes is frequent but cannot be a marker used to isolate a group of patients at risk of developing diabetic micro vascular complications. The presence of anti-GAD in type 2 diabetes may be a LADA marker which specifically marks a group of patients with type 2 diabetes, in who there is a faster metabolic death of beta cells. Determination of antibodies AMA, ASMA, APCA and anti-LKM does not seem to be significant in the diagnosis of diabetes and its chronic complications.