Genetic determination of islet cell autoimmunity in monozygotic twin, dizygotic twin, and non-twin siblings of patients with type 1 diabetes: prospective twin study.

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that non-diabetic dizygotic and monozygotic twin siblings of patients with type 1 diabetes have a similar high prevalence of islet cell autoantibodies, thus suggesting that islet cell autoimmunity is mainly environmentally determined.

DESIGN

Prospective twin study.

SETTING

Two specialist centres for diabetes in the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Non-diabetic monozygotic twin (n=53), dizygotic twin (n=30), and non-twin (n=149) siblings of patients with type 1 diabetes; 101 controls.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Analysis of progression to diabetes and expression of anti-islet autoantibodies.

RESULTS

Monozygotic twin siblings had a higher risk of progression to diabetes (12/53) than dizygotic twin siblings (0/30; P<0.005). At the last follow up 22 (41.5%) monozygotic twin siblings expressed autoantibodies compared with 6 (20%) dizygotic twin siblings (P<0.05), 16 (10.7%) non-twin siblings (P<0.0001), and 6 (5.9%) controls (P<0.0001). Monozygotic twin siblings expressed multiple (>/=2) antibodies more often than dizygotic twin siblings (10/38 v 1/23; P<0.05). By life table analysis the probability of developing positive autoantibodies was higher among the monozygotic twin siblings bearing the diabetes associated HLA DQ8/DQ2 genotype than in those without this genotype (64.2% (95% confidence interval 32.5% to 96%) v 23.5% (7% to 40%) at 10 years of discordance; P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Monozygotic and dizygotic twins differ in progression to diabetes and expression of islet cell autoantibodies. Dizygotic twin siblings are similar to non-twin siblings. These two observations suggest that genetic factors play an important part in determination of islet cell autoimmunity, thus rejecting the hypothesis. In addition, there is a high penetrance of islet cell autoimmunity in DQ8/DQ2 monozygotic twin siblings.