Prevalence of autoantibodies in simplex and multiplex families of Brazilian insulin-dependent diabetic patients.
1. Forty-one simplex and 6 multiplex families of Brazilian IDDM patients were studied by the indirect immunofluorescence technique to determine the prevalence of the following autoantibodies: islet cells (ICA), islet cells which fix complement (ICA-CF), thyroid microsomes (TMA), thyroglobulin (TGA), and gastric-parietal cells (PCA). A total of 54 IDDM patients belonging to two family groups were analyzed. 2. A significantly higher frequency of ICA-CF and TMA was detected among the siblings from multiplex families than among those from simplex families (18.7% vs 1.7%). 3. A prospective study of 5 ICA-positive siblings was undertaken, and 2 who later became diabetic were found to be positive to both ICA and ICA-CF. 4. The prevalence of islet-cell antibodies in these 54 Brazilian IDDM patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives from genetically mixed groups suggests that the humoral autoimmune mechanisms of the disease are probably identical to those observed in other populations of different ethnic backgrounds.
Gomes
M B
MB
Serviço de Diabetes, Disciplina de Patologia Geral, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Vieira
L M
LM
Marques
E P
EP
Sarno
E N
EN
Chacra
A R
AR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008861:Microsomes / Q000276:immunology; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D013954:Thyroglobulin