title: Young Chinese adults with new onset of diabetic ketoacidosis--clinical course, autoimmune status and progression of pancreatic beta-cell function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the clinical course, autoimmune status and pancreatic beta cell function, over a 2-year period, in young Chinese subjects newly presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study involving 562 out of 27,893 patients who were admitted to the medical ward with a principal diagnosis of diabetes mellitus during the recruitment period of 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of these 562 patients, 27 were aged less than 35 years and admitted with a diagnosis of DKA and 11 (six males and five females) of these were newly diagnosed. Antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) were present in five patients. Anti-ICA 512 was not detected in any of the patients. Basal and post-glucagon stimulated plasma C-peptide remained in the insulin-deficient range although showing improvement at 2 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings confirm the relative rarity of autoimmune Type 1 diabetes in young Chinese. Even when the clinical presentation takes the extreme form of acute DKA, less than 50% have positive autoimmune markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Yan Chai Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: P Z
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Zimmet
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rowley
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cockram
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood*; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005934:Glucagon; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000276:immunology*; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D005934:Glucagon; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase