THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES IN TYPE-1 DIABETIC-PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIVES - MEASUREMENT WITH HIGHLY SENSITIVE ASSAY

Autoimmunity in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus was asses sed by measuring thyroglobulin antibodies (TGA) using a highly sensiti ve enzyme immunoassay in 65 young patients with Type 1 diabetes mellit us, 83 healthy first-degree relatives of the patients, 37 healthy cont rol subjects and 67 healthy parents of the control subjects. TGA were found in 78.5% (51/65) of patients and were significantly more frequen t in patients than in control subjects (40.5%, 15/37; P < 0.01). The p revalence of TGA in patients showed no correlation with age at onset, duration of diabetes or sex. Among the first-degree relatives the prev alence of TGA was significantly increased in mothers of patients than in mothers of the control subjects (80.0% vs. 54.3%, P < 0.05), while not significantly between fathers of patients and fathers of control s ubjects or between siblings of patients and control subjects. Comparin g the TGA levels of TGA-positive subjects, the TGA levels in patients, their parents and their siblings were significantly higher than those in the corresponding control subjects (P < 0.05, P < 0.05 and P < 0.0 1, respectively). In the present study we thus more clearly demonstrat ed autoimmune diathesis in patients with Type 1 diabetes and in their first-degree relatives.