Autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), 64,000-Mr islet cell protein (64K) antibodies and islet cell antibodies (ICA) in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus with and without autoimmune diseases in Japan.

IDDM is known to be a heterogeneous disease which is frequently complicated with other autoimmune diseases (AID). We previously reported that IDDM patients with AID were characterized by late onset of diabetes, persistent ICA-positivity and increased association with DR9, while those without AID were characterized by rapid decline of ICA with duration of diabetes and increased association with DR4. The present study was performed to investigate the prevalence of autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), autoantibodies to 64KDa islet cell protein (64K antibodies) and islet cell antibodies (ICA) in Japanese IDDM patients with and without AID. In short-duration diabetes (< 1 year), the prevalence of GAD antibodies, 64K antibodies and ICA were 100%, 100%, and 100%, respectively, in IDDM patients with AID, and 82%, 64% and 82%, respectively, in patients without AID. In long-standing diabetes (3-28 years), the prevalence of GAD antibodies were 76%, 48% and 33%, respectively, in IDDM patients with AID, and 48%, 28% and 16%, respectively, in patients without AID. The mean levels of GAD antibodies, 64K antibodies and ICA in IDDM patients with AID was significantly higher than in those without AID. Furthermore, the prevalence of GAD antibodies were detected more frequently than ICA and 64K antibodies in long standing IDDM patients. Our results demonstrate that the prevalence of GAD antibodies in IDDM patients were as high as those reported in Caucasians, and high levels of GAD antibodies were observed in IDDM patients with AID.