[Screening of type I diabetes in patients' families].
Insulin dependent or type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease with a strong genetic susceptibility linked to MHC and non MHC genes. Risk of the disease is 20 fold higher in first degree relatives of patients than in the general population. beta-cell destruction is progressive and marked by the appearance of antibodies to several islet constituents including insulin and glutamate decarboxylase. These markers allow disease prediction specially in children where a population with a 5 years risk approaching 100% can be defined. The intravenous glucose tolerance test can detect a progressive decline of the first phase of insulin secretion, preceding glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia. These screening programs will allow clinical trials currently limited to non specific immuno-suppressive agents such as cyclosporine in patients with preclinical diabetes. In the future, identification of targets and effector mechanisms of auto-immune destruction of the beta-cells will allow the evaluation of more specific approaches at earlier stages of the disease.
Carel
J C
JC
INSERM U342, Hôpital Saint Vincent de Paul, Paris.
Chaussain
J L
JL
Bougneres
F
F
D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology; D008403:Mass Screening
D001323:Autoantibodies
Le dépistage du diabète de type 1 dans les familles de patients.