title: Children with newly diagnosed IDDM have increased levels of antibodies to bovine serum albumin but not to ovalbumin. Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the humoral immune response to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ovalbumin (OA) in children with newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined serum samples from 505 children 0.8-14.9 years of age with newly diagnosed IDDM for antibodies to BSA and OA by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We also had two control groups: 85 unrelated control children (0.8-7.1 years of age) and 395 nondiabetic siblings (3.0-14.9 years of age). The specificity of antibodies detected in ELISA was confirmed by immunoblotting in a subset of sera with varying levels of antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diabetic children < 7 years of age had a significantly higher level of IgG (immunoglobulin) antibodies to BSA than did unrelated control children (P < 0.0001). The difference was greatest in the youngest group of children, 0.8-2.9 years of age. IgA antibodies to BSA were detected more frequently among diabetic than control children (P = 0.0009). Levels of IgG and IgA antibodies to ovalbumin did not differ between diabetic and control children. Diabetic children 3.0-14.9 years of age also had higher levels of IgG and IgA antibodies to BSA than did their age- and sex-matched nondiabetic siblings (P = 0.02 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Those siblings who contracted IDDM during the follow-up period (n = 15) had a measurable level of IgA antibodies to BSA more often than did those who remained nondiabetic (60 and 34%, respectively; P = 0.04). Neither before nor after diagnosis of IDDM was there any significant trend in antibody levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high level of antibodies to BSA commonly associates with IDDM, whereas the humoral immune response to OA is similar in diabetic and nondiabetic children.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saukkonen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Savilahti
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vaarala
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Virtala
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tuomilehto
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Akerblom
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D010047:Ovalbumin