Antibodies to heat-shock protein 65 and neopterin levels in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Antibodies to heat shock protein (hsp) are strongly associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the non-diabetic population as well as in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In type 1 diabetes increased antibody titers to hsp were found to be a symptom of the autoimmune disease leading to beta-cell damage. We asked whether hsp antibody titers are related to metabolic control and late complications in type 1 diabetic patients. Serum neopterin, also an indicator of chronic inflammation, was also evaluated. The hsp65 antibody titer was determined in 138 patients with type 1 diabetes, 47 women and 91 men, aged 35.5 +/- 12 years with a mean diabetes duration of 16.6 +/- 10.5 years. A history of diabetic late complications and cardiovascular disease was taken. A fundoscopy and a neurological examination were performed, nephropathy was assessed by measurement of the urinary albumin excretion rate. For the measurement of the hsp antibody titer an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied, for neopterin a radio-immuno assay (RIA) was used. The hsp65 antibody titer was found to be positively related to the patients' age (r = 0.237; p < 0.035). Patients with retinopathy revealed significantly higher hsp65 antibody titers (307.2 +/- 38.6) than those without retinopathy (150.0 +/- 18.5;p < 0.003). No correlation was found between hsp antibody titer and metabolic control. Serum neopterin levels revealed a trend towards a positive relationship with diabetes duration (r = 0.205; p < 0.0539) and a significant correlation with serum cholesterol levels (r = 0.436; p < 0.001), but not with HbA1 c values. Our data add further information to the role of inflammatory markers in the development of diabetic microangiopathy.
Weitgasser
R
R
1st Department of Medicine, St.Johanns Spital, Salzburg General Hospital, Salzburg, Austria.
Lechleitner
M
M
Koch
T
T
Galvan
G
G
Mühlmann
J
J
Steiner
K
K
Hoppichler
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000209:etiology; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D018833:Chaperonins / Q000276:immunology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000652:urine; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000209:etiology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
D000906:Antibodies; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60; C074119:heat-shock protein 65, Mycobacterium; D019798:Neopterin; D018833:Chaperonins