[The study of two immunological markers in patients with type-1 diabetes and in their first degree relatives]

The prediction of diabetes mellitus is mostly based on the existence of plasma markers. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine islet cell antibodies (ICA) and glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA) in 28 diabetic children (12 of them having an evolutive disease of 1 year and 16 at the beginning of the diabetes) and to 47 of their first-degree relatives. There have been determined the levels of these two autoantibodies using the ELISA technique.To 17 of the patients with type I diabetes have been found high levels of GADA (60.7%) while 8 cases have positive ICA (28.5%). For the patients whose disease was diagnosed 1 year ago there have been found differences between the patients with and without antibodies regarding the level of the average values of Hb A1c, the daily insulin needs and the remission period. From the tested parents (a total of 25), 7 was GADA positive (28%), 6 had both antibodies present (24%) and one mother was ICA positive (4%). 9 of the brothers and sisters of the diabetic patients had high levels of GADA and 2 had both antibodies present. To the first-degree relatives with autoantibodies must be determined other plasma markers too (IAA, IA-2A) as well as genetic markers (HLA typing).The use of plasma markers is recommended as a first step in discovering the relatives with potential risk of developing the disease.