CIRCULATING ANTIIMMUNOGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES BEFORE THE ONSET OF TYPE-I DIABETES-MELLITUS - INVERSE CORRELATION WITH INSULIN AUTOANTIBODIES AND RATE OF PROGRESSION TO DIABETES IN ICA POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS

The presence of anti-immunoglobulin antibodies (alphaIgAb) compared wi th that of insulin autoantibodies (IAAb) and islet cell antibodies (IC A), has been investigated in subjects (n=18) at a high risk of develop ing Type I diabetes, half of whom have subsequently developed the dise ase. Correlations with clinical parameters or with the rate of progres sion to diabetes have been evaluated. alphaIgAb were present in 7 of t he 9 patients who developed Type I diabetes (Group A) and in 3 of thos e without clinical symptoms of the disease (Group B). IAAb were positi ve in 6 of the 9 subjects in Group A and in 5 of Group B (ICA were pre sent in all the subjects but one ). AlphaIgAb were inversely correlate d with IAAb. AlphaIgAb levels showed a direct correlation with the num ber of days to overt diabetes; IAAb levels showed an inverse correlati on in a similar evaluation. AlphaIgAb and IAAb, in addition to ICA, ar e of value in monitoring some of the early pre-clinical pathogenetic e vents.