Enterovirus-related type 1 diabetes mellitus and antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
In order to clarify the relationship between enteroviruses and type 1 diabetes mellitus in Japan we investigated enteroviral RNA in serum from children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
We investigated enteroviral RNA in serum from children with type 1 diabetes mellitus by using highly sensitive RT-PCR. Additionally the sequences and viral loads were determined and compared with anti-coxsackie virus antibodies and anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies.


RESULTS
RT-PCR for enterovirus was positive in 23 (37.7%) from 61 samples. The positivity had no disparity of age, but decreased by aging after the occurrence of type 1 diabetes mellitus. The sequences of the positives were similar as those of coxsackie B4. The viral loads revealed that there was no positive patient with high titers of anti-GAD antibodies.


CONCLUSIONS
In Japan there is some correlation with type 1 diabetes mellitus and enterovirus. The pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes mellitus seems to consist of a direct destruction by persistent coxsackie virus and the autoimmune mechanism through autoantibodies against beta-cells.
Kawashima
Hisashi
H
Department of Peadiatrics, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan. hisashi@tokyo-med.ac.jp
Ihara
Toshiaki
T
Ioi
Hiroaki
H
Oana
Shingo
S
Sato
Satoshi
S
Kato
Naoki
N
Takami
Takeshi
T
Kashiwagi
Yasuyo
Y
Takekuma
Kouji
K
Hoshika
Akinori
A
Mori
Takayuki
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load
D012367:RNA, Viral; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase