Anticardiolipin antibodies in children and adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Anticardiolipin antibodies were determined in 29 diabetic children and adolescents, aged 3.9-26.8 years, with disease duration from 1 month to 19 years. Anti-islet cell antibodies (ICA-IgG and CF-ICA), anti-insulin antibodies (IAA), antithyroid antibodies and non organ-specific (NOSA) antibodies were also determined. Patients were grouped according to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) duration: group I (n = 11) < 6 months, and group II (n = 18) > 5 years. Eleven of group II patients showed precocious signs of micro-angiopathic complications. Forty-two age- and sex-matched healthy subjects served as controls. IgG and IgM anticardiolipin antibodies were evaluated by ELISA and their results expressed as arbitrary units (AU). IgG anticardiolipin antibodies were found in 7 patients (24%), while IgM anticardiolipin antibodies were absent in all. IgG anticardiolipin antibodies were more frequent in IDDM patients than in controls (P < 0.005) and group I (in 6 out of 11 patients; 54.5%) than in group II (in 1 out of 18 patients; 5.5%) (P < 0.025). In five out of six group I patients with IgG anticardiolipin antibodies, ICA-IgG and/or CF-ICA were also found. No correlation was observed between anticardiolipin and other auto-antibodies, micro-angiopathic complications, and HLA typing.


CONCLUSIONS
Anticardiolipin antibodies may reflect an abnormal immunological response in the early stage of diabetes mellitus and represent a transient auto-immune phenomenon.
Lorini
R
R
Paediatric Clinic, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
d'Annunzio
G
G
Montecucco
C
C
Caporali
R
R
Vitali
L
L
Pessino
P
P
Severi
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007330:Insulin Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D007330:Insulin Antibodies