Pz. Zimmet et al., ANTIBODIES TO GLUTAMIC-ACID DECARBOXYLASE AND DIABETES-MELLITUS IN THE MULTIPLE RISK FACTOR INTERVENTION TRIAL, American journal of epidemiology, 140(8), 1994, pp. 683-690
Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous disease. The better classificatio
n of types of diabetes mellitus among adults will improve epidemiologi
c studies of determinants of risk factors and genetic host susceptibil
ity. Recently, an antibody to a specific enzyme, glutamic acid decarbo
xylase, has been closely linked to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
. Sera were collected at baseline between 1972 and 1974 from initially
nondiabetic participants in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Tri
al. After approximately 18 years of frozen storage, the serum samples
were tested for antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) i
n 175 men who developed diabetes and 352 matched controls who did not
develop diabetes during the 6-year follow-up. Nine of the 527 samples
tested had elevated (19 or more units) titers of anti-GAD. Six of the
nine men with elevated anti-GAD subsequently developed diabetes, and t
hree of these six were ultimately placed on insulin therapy. These dat
a suggest that elevated levels of anti-GAD may be a prospective marker
for the subsequent development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
. The measurement of anti-GAD is relatively easy, can be performed in
stored serum specimens, and may be used in epidemiologic studies to en
hance the understanding of the determinants of diabetes mellitus.