title: Autoantibodies against mitochondrial glycerophosphate dehydrogenase in patients with IDDM.
abstract: The mitochondrial enzyme FAD-linked glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (mGDH) plays a key role in the recognition of D-glucose as a stimulus for insulin release from the pancreatic islet B-cell. This study reveals that autoantibodies against this enzyme are not uncommonly found in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) examined at the onset of the disease. Antibodies reacting with a recombinant mGDH fragment product were observed in the serum of four out of 15 type-1 diabetics, but in none of 15 control subjects. The serum of patients positive for the recombinant mGDH fragment also recognized native mGDH in a rat testis extract, provided that the enzymatic protein was first exposed to an anti-mGDH rabbit serum. Antibodies against mGDH were also found in four out 12 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis. These findings reveal that a mitochondrial enzyme, that represents an essential component of the islet B-cell glucose-sensing device, may act as an antigenic determinant in patients with IDDM or other autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fabregat
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gasa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Novials
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gallart
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Malaisse
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gomis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000276:immunology; D005993:Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007106:Immune Sera; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005993:Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase