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High frequency of coxsackie‐B‐virus‐specific IgM in children developing type I diabetes during a period of high diabetes morbidity
Author(s) -
Frisk Gun,
Fohlman Jan,
Kobbah Mounen,
Ewald Uwe,
Tuvemo Torsten,
Diderholm Hans,
Friman Göran
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890170303
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetes mellitus , titer , type 1 diabetes , virus , antibody , radioimmunoassay , enterovirus , immunoglobulin m , viral disease , immunology , gastroenterology , virology , pediatrics , immunoglobulin g , endocrinology
Abstract Twenty‐four consecutive children with newly diagnosed insulin‐dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were investigated for a history of infectious disease. Thirteen of the 24 (54%) patients reported symptoms of acute infection within two months before diabetes was diagnosed. The mean age was 8.5 years and 15 (63%) of the patients were girls. No clear seasonal variation in onset was seen. Coxsackie B (CB)‐virus‐specific IgM responses were detected by reverse radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 16 of the 24 (67%) patients on the day of diagnosis of IDDM. The highest titre was usually recorded at that time, but with some the highest titre was found with a second serum obtained three to seven weeks after diagnosis. Thereafter the titres declined, and after six months IgM was detected only in a few patients. Thirteen patients displayed monotypic IgM responses, whereas three patients showed ditypic responses. Among the former, IgM was recorded against Coxsackie B4 (CB4) in four, B5 (CB5) in three, B1 (CBI) in two, B2 (CB2) in two, and B3 (CB3) in two patients. The ditypic responses were against CB2 and CB3, CB3 and CB4, and CB4 and CB5. No CB‐virus‐specific IgM was detected in sera, found during the same period, from age‐matched nondiabetic children without evidence of infection. In neutralisation (NT) tests, antibodies to the homotypic virus were found in 12 of the 16 diabetic patients showing CB‐virus‐specific at the time of diagnosis. A significant rise in NT titre was demonstrated in three of these patients. No significant clinical difference was noted between IgM positive and IgM negative patients. There was no significant correlation between clinical symptoms of acute infection and IgM response. This study was carried out during a period of high IDDM morbidity.