Neutralizing Ljungan virus antibodies in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes

Ljungan virus (LV), a Parechovirus of the Picornavirus family, first isolated from a bank vole at the Ljungan river in Sweden, has been implicated in the risk for autoimmune type 1 diabetes. An assay for neutralizing Ljungan virus antibodies (NLVA) was developed using the original 87-012 LV isolate. The goal was to determine NLVA titres in incident 0-18 years old newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes patients (n=67) and school children controls (n=292) from Jämtland county in Sweden. NLVA were found in 41 of 67 (61 %) patients compared to 127 of 292 (44 %) controls (P=0.009). In the type 1 diabetes patients, NLVA titres were associated with autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA) (P=0.023), but not to autoantibodies against insulin (IAA) or islet antigen-2 (IA-2A). The NLVA assay should prove useful for further investigations to determine levels of LV antibodies in patients and future studies to determine a possible role of LV in autoimmune type 1 diabetes.
Erratum: Neutralizing Ljungan virus antibodies in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, Annika Lundstig, Sharla L. McDonald, Marlena Maziarz, William C. Weldon, Fariba Vaziri-Sani, Åke Lernmark and Anna-Lena Nilsson, Journal of General Virology 2021;102, doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001602In the published version of this article, the second author’s name was listed incorrectly. The author’s name should have been listed as: ‘Sharla L. McDonald’.The Microbiology Society apologises for any inconvenience caused.Funding information:This study was supported by the:Stiftelsen Axel Tielmans MinnesfondPrinciple Award Recipient: Annika LundstigH.K.H. Kronprinsessan Lovisas Förening för Barnasjukvård (SE)Principle Award Recipient: Annika LundstigSven Mattssons Stiftelse Principle Award Recipient: Annika LundstigLunds Revisorer Principle Award Recipient: Annika LundstigLisa och Johan Grönbergs StiftelsePrinciple Award Recipient: Annika LundstigSydvästra Skånes Diabetesförening Principle Award Recipient: Annika Lundstig