Soluble adhesion molecules in young children with signs of beta-cell autoimmunity--prospective follow-up from birth.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed at evaluating the relationship between the circulating concentrations of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and sL-selectin and the appearance of beta-cell autoimmunity, and at assessing whether these molecules could assist in the identification of environmental factors implicated in the immune process damaging the pancreatic beta-cells.


METHODS
Serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays over the first 2 years of life in 65 children seroconverting to positivity for autoantibodies and 65 control children, all with HLA-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes (T1D).


RESULTS
The total integrated concentrations of soluble adhesion molecules were comparable between the two groups. The autoantibody-positive children tended to have higher sL-selectin concentrations during the 3-month seroconversion (SC) period than did the control children during the corresponding period (P = 0.07), the difference being significant (P = 0.03) after excluding subjects with signs of a concurrent enterovirus infection. Autoantibody-positive children had higher concentrations of sL-selectin in the 3-month period when an enterovirus infection was detectable than did the control children (P = 0.018). No significant difference could, however, be seen after excluding the children with concomitant seroconversion to autoantibody positivity.


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated concentrations of sL-selectin are temporally associated with seroconversion to autoantibody positivity suggesting that leukocyte activation might coincide with the appearance of beta-cell autoimmunity. Early-onset progressive beta-cell autoimmunity, on the other hand, is not reflected in overall increased concentrations of soluble adhesion molecules in the peripheral circulation during the first 2 years of life in children carrying increased HLA-conferred disease susceptibility. Enterovirus infections (EVIs) are not independently associated with increased circulating sL-selectin concentrations in young children with enhanced HLA-conferred susceptibility to T1D.
Toivonen
Anna M
AM
JDRF Centre for Prevention of Type 1 Diabetes in Finland, Finland.
Kimpimäki
Teija
T
Kupila
Antti
A
Korhonen
Sari
S
Hyöty
Heikki
H
Virtanen
Suvi M
SM
Ilonen
Jorma
J
Simell
Olli
O
Knip
Mikael
M
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology*; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
D001323:Autoantibodies; D006680:HLA Antigens; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D019041:L-Selectin