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IgA bovine serum albumin antibodies are increased in newly diagnosed patients with insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus, but the increase is not an independent risk factor for diabetes
Author(s) -
Saukkonen T,
Savilahti E,
LandinOlsson M,
Dahlquist G
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1995.tb13544.x
Subject(s) - medicine , antibody , ovalbumin , diabetes mellitus , bovine serum albumin , endocrinology , risk factor , immunology , antigen
We studied the significance of antibodies to bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a risk factor for insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in a case‐control setting. IgA and IgG antibodies to BSA and ovalbumin were measured from sera of 104 patients with newly diagnosed IDDM and of 111 matched controls by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Patients with diabetes had significantly higher levels of IgA antibodies to BSA ( p = 0.003); IgG antibodies also tended to be higher ( p = 0.08). Levels of IgA antibodies to ovalbumin were similar in the patients and controls, but IgG antibodies were higher in controls ( p = 0.02). When antibodies to BSA, β‐lactoglobulin, whole cow's milk and islet cell antibodies were studied as risk determinants of IDDM in a multivariate, logistic regression analysis, IgA antibodies to β‐lactoglobulin and to cow's milk were independently associated with the risk ( p = 0.037 and 0.048, respectively), while antibodies to BSA were not a significant risk factor. The results question the role of BSA as a cross‐reacting antigen with pancreatic β‐cell surface proteins in the aetiology of IDDM.