Recognition of zinc transporter 8 and MAP3865c homologous epitopes by new-onset type 1 diabetes children from continental Italy.
There are several pieces of evidence indicating that Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection is linked to type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Sardinian patients. An association between MAP and T1D was recently observed in an Italian cohort of pediatric T1D individuals, characterized by a different genetic background. It is interesting to confirm the prevalence of anti-MAP antibodies (Abs) in another pediatric population from continental Italy, looking at several markers of MAP presence. New-onset T1D children, compared to age-matched healthy controls (HCs), were tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of Abs toward the immunodominant MAP3865c/ZnT8 homologues epitopes, the recently identified C-terminal MAP3865c281-287 epitope and MAP-specific protein MptD. Abs against MAP and ZnT8 epitopes were more prevalent in the sera of new-onset T1D children compared to HCs. These findings support the view that MAP3865c/ZnT8 cross-reactivity is involved in the pathogenesis of T1D, and addition of Abs against these peptides to the panel of existing T1D biomarkers should be considered. It is important now to investigate the timing of MAP infection during prospective follow-up in at-risk children to elucidate whether Ab-titers against these MAP/ZnT8 epitopes are present before T1D onset and if so if they wane after diagnosis.
Sezione di Microbiologia e Virologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43 b, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
Speranza
S
Masala
Davide
D
Cossu
Simona
S
Piccinini
Novella
N
Rapini
Arianna
A
Massimi
Ottavia
O
Porzio
Silvia
S
Pietrosanti
Roberta
R
Lidano
Maria Luisa Manca
ML
Bitti
Leonardo Antonio
LA
Sechi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult; D000075703:Zinc Transporter 8
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001323:Autoantibodies; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D010455:Peptides; C492522:SLC30A8 protein, human; D000075703:Zinc Transporter 8