title: Complement-fixing islet-cell antibodies in type-I diabetes: possible monitors of active beta-cell damage.
abstract: Evidence is presented for the existence of a separate species of islet-cell antibodies which fix complement. Investigations in type I diabetics, non-diabetic polyendocrine patients, and unaffected first-degree relatives of type I diabetic probands show that the complement-fixing islet-cell antibodies are more closely related to the onset of clinical disease than the conventional islet-cell antibody, and they tend to disappear more rapidly. The complement-fixing antibodies may reflect damage of pancreatic beta cells more selectively and may be preferable to the conventional antibody as a serological marker for studying the natural history of type I diabetes.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003172:Complement C1 / Q000276:immunology; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000276:immunology; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000276:immunology; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D003172:Complement C1; D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D003165:Complement System Proteins