ANTIBODIES TO HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN-65 KD IN TYPE-1 DIABETES-MELLITUS

To determine whether antibodies to mycobacterial heat shock protein of 65 kD molecular weight (hsp 65) could be important in the pathogenesi s of Type 1 diabetes we tested patients before and at diagnosis of dia betes, as well as patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Using ELISA, inc reased hsp 65 antibodies were detected in 2 of 8 pre-diabetic twins, 1 of 13 newly diagnosed untreated diabetic patients and 3 of 10 rheumat oid arthritis patients. Levels of hsp 65 antibodies in pre-diabetic tw ins, median (range), 0.25 (0.104-1.904) and newly diagnosed diabetic p atients (mean +/- SD) (0.299 +/- 0.220), did not differ significantly either from each other or from their control subjects (0.134 +/-0.123) . In contrast, levels of hsp 65 antibodies in rheumatoid patients (0.5 9 +/- 0.42) were significantly higher than in their control subjects ( 0.21 +/- 0.18; p = 0.02). Of twins studied prospectively before diagno sis, at diagnosis but before insulin treatment, and soon after diagnos is, three of four had hsp 65 antibodies at some stage. We conclude tha t serological immunity to mycobacterial hsp 65 can occur in Type 1 dia betes, but it is neither a characteristic nor a specific feature of th e disease.