Antibodies to bovine beta-casein in diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.
Cow's milk is thought to be an environmental trigger for autoimmune response in Type 1 diabetes. In the present study, our aim was to investigate the antibody response to bovine beta-casein in different immune- and non-immune-mediated diseases and to establish whether such an antibody response is specific to Type 1 diabetes. We measured antibodies to bovine beta-casein using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in a total of 519 sera from subjects as follows: 71 patients with Type 1 diabetes, 33 patients with coeliac disease, 100 patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), 50 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD), 50 patients with Type 2 diabetes, 24 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and 3 different groups of controls (n = 191). Significantly increased levels of antibodies to beta-casein were found in patients with Type 1 diabetes, coeliac disease and in LADA compared to age-matched controls (p = 0.01, p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). No differences were observed in beta-casein antibody titres between patients with other disease conditions (MS, and ATD) and age-matched controls. The highest antibody response to beta-casein in Type 1 diabetic patients and in patients with coeliac disease could reflect the gut mucosal immune disorders common to Type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease. Furthermore, the elevated beta-casein antibody levels found in LADA patients suggest that the antibody response to this protein may be relevant in autoimmune diabetes.
Unit of Diabetes and Endocrinology, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy.
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L
Monetini
M G
MG
Cavallo
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S
Manfrini
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L
Stefanini
A
A
Picarelli
M
M
Di Tola
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A
Petrone
M
M
Bianchi
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M
La Presa
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Di Giulio
M G
MG
Baroni
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Thorpe
B K
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Walker
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Pozzilli
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D002364:Caseins / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000906:Antibodies; D002364:Caseins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G