Detection of autoantibodies to the 65-kD isoform of glutamate decarboxylase by radioimmunoassay

Measurement of antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GADA): two new 125I assays compared with [35S]GAD 65-ligand binding assay

Recently, 65-kDa glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD 65) antibodies (GADA) have been introduced as autoimmune markers in blood to confirm the diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In this study, to evaluate two new assays that use 125I-labeled GAD 65, we assayed samples from 100 children with recent onset of diabetes and 100 control children; the results were compared with those of a [35S]GADA assay and with results for islet cell antibodies (ICA), the conventional autoimmune marker. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed one of the new assays (from RSR) to be more sensitive (P = 0.01) than the comparison ([35S]GADA) assay, whereas the second new assay (from Elias) was less sensitive (P <0.001). The GADA frequency at 97.5% specificity was greatest in the comparison assay: 63 of 100 vs 41 of 100 (P < 0.01) and 53 of 100 (P = 0.16) in the RSR and Elias assays, respectively. Almost all GADA-positive patients had ICA, but one-third of the ICA-positive patients was GADA-negative. Accordingly, adding GADA analysis results to ICA testing increased the frequency of detection of autoimmune markers only slightly (from 81% to 85%). In conclusion, at 97.5% specificity the [35S]GADA assay seemed to be more efficient than the 125I assays, although the difference was significant only for the Elias 125I assay. Antigen-specific antibodies other than GADA may explain the difference in GADA and ICA frequencies.

Pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is strongly associated with certain HLA types and the presence of islet cell-specific autoantibodies. The pathogenesis is a specific loss of pancreatic beta cells. The dissection of IDDM genes is complicated by the low recurrence rate of the disease among first-degree relatives. HLA-DQ2 and 8 are closest to IDDM with a marked synergistic effect of DQ2/8 heterozygotes. The associations with other HLA genes are often explained by linkage disequilibrium. Genetic factors on other chromosomes which influence the pathogenesis are still to be fully identified but candidates are on chromosomes 11 (insulin gene polymorphisms) and 7 (TCR gene polymorphisms). The autoreactivity against the GAD65 isoform is pronounced both before and at the clinical onset of IDDM. GAD65 autoantibodies show the highest predictive value and may represent an initiating autoantigen. Autoantibodies to numerous other beta cell autoantigens are detected at the clinical onset but may represent a secondary response and antigen spreading during a sustained autoimmune attack on the beta cells. The role of T cells in human IDDM is yet to be defined. GAD65 and other islet autoantibodies have a low positive predictive value for IDDM and further investigations are needed to clarify ways to predict IDDM in the general population.