title: Fluctuating islet-cell autoimmunity in unaffected relatives of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes.
abstract: Complement-fixing islet-cell antibodies (CF-ICA) were found in 20 out of 685 unaffected first-degree relatives of children with type 1 diabetes. During a 5-year follow-up, 7 of the 20 became diabetic, 1 continued to show the antibodies without any abnormality of glucose tolerance, and 12 subjects lost them without the disease developing. Although CF-ICA are useful as a marker of active insulitis they should not at present be used to define subjects who might benefit from preventive immunosuppression.
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004777:Environment; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D006680:HLA Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II