AIMS

Whether the titer of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADAs), especially a low titer, is a marker of progression of beta cell dysfunction in patients with slowly progressive insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes (SPIDDM) is unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients were subdivided as follows: patients with high GADA titers [≥10 U/ml (≥180 WHO U/ml): high GADA] (group 1,  = 37); those with low GADA titers [<10 U/ml (<180 WHO U/ml): low GADA] (group 2,  = 33); those without GADA and with islet cell antibodies (ICA) (group 3,  = 8); those without both GADA and ICA and with insulinoma-associated antigen 2 antibodies (IA-2A) (group 4,  = 6). We also allocated 198 type 2 diabetic patients without any GADA, ICA or IA-2A as group 5. Serum C-peptide responses to annual oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) were followed up for a mean of 107 months from entry.

RESULTS

The proportion of patients progressing to an insulin-dependent state in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 was significantly higher than in group 5. C-peptide responses in OGTTs of patients in groups 1 and 2 were decreased at a significantly higher rate than in group 5. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that factors including high GADA, low GADA, onset age <45 years, duration of diabetes <24 months, body mass index (BMI) <22.0 kg/m, low degree of preserved beta cell function and ICA were independent risk factors for progression to an insulin-dependent state.

CONCLUSIONS

SPIDDM patients with low GADA titers have a significantly higher risk of progression to an insulin-dependent state than type 2 diabetic patients, suggesting that the presence of GADA, irrespective of the titer, is a hallmark of beta cell failure. Other risk factors for further progression to an insulin-dependent state in SPIDDM patients were ICA, onset age, duration of diabetes, BMI and residual beta cell function.