Antibodies against advanced glycation end products in patients with type 1diabetes mellitus

Background: Advanced glycation end products are associated with chronic com plications of diabetes mellitus. This glycation process renders many protei ns immunogenic. Aim: To detect the presence of antibodies against albumin, collagen and low density lipoprotein glycation products in boys and teenage rs with diabetes mellitus. Patients and methods: Thirty one patients with d iabetes mellitus type I, aged 11+/-3.8 years and with a mean duration of di sease of 3.7+/-2.7 years and 31 healthy controls aged 12.4+/-5.3 years were studied. Antibodies against glycation end products were detected by ELISA and results were expressed as a ratio of the optical density of the glycate d protein/optical density of the native protein. Results: Diabetic patients and healthy controls did not have antibodies against albumin glycation end products. Diabetics had higher levels of antibodies than controls for coll agen glycation end products (2.6+/-0.4 and 1.8+/-0.2 respectively, p<0.01) and low density lipoprotein glycation end products (3.07+/-0.92 and 2.2+/-0 .72 respectively, p<0.05). Conclusions: The biological role of these antibo dies is not clear. They could be a depuration mechanism for glycation end p roducts or contribute to chronic complications of diabetes mellitus.