title: Low prevalence of islet autoantibodies in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the proportion of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who have serological characteristics typical of IDDM.
  
  
  METHODS
  Islet cell antibodies (ICAs), insulin autoantibodies (IAAs), GAD65, and IA-2 antibodies were measured in 145 pregnant women with GDM, 33 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and in 73 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). ICAs were measured by indirect immunofluorescence; GAD65 and IA-2 antibodies, by a radio-ligand immunoassay incorporating 35S-labeled recombinant antigen; and IAAs, by a liquid-phase radiobinding assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalences of islet autoantibodies were low and not significantly different between groups. ICAs were detected at levels ranging from 5 to 45 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation U in 14 (10%) women with GDM, 2 (6%) women with (GT, and in 4 (5%) women with NGT. IAAs were detected at levels between 3 and 4 SD above the mean in 4 (3%) women with GDM, 0 women with IGT, and in 1 (1%) woman with NGT. None had both ICAs and IAAs. Neither GAD65 nor IA-2 antibodies, which have been detected in the majority of pre-IDDM and IDDM patients, were found in NGT, IGT, or GDM patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-titer ICAs and IAAs are not infrequent in pregnant women, but multiple islet autoantibodies and antibodies to GAD65 or IA-2 were not found in GDM. These findings suggest that the serological characteristics of IDDM are rare in GDM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, H. San Raffaele Scientific Institute, University of Milano, Italy. dozion@imihsra.it
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dozio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beretta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belloni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castiglioni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bosi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonifacio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D001324:Autoantigens; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007330:Insulin Antibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D054635:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 8
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D007330:Insulin Antibodies; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C024211:islet cell antibody; C516862:PTPRN protein, human; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; D054635:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 8; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase