Study of the prevalence of anti Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase antibody in Iraqi children and adolescent with type 1 Diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a disease caused by the progressive and selective destruction, by autoimmune mechanisms, of pancreatic beta cells.
Recent findings support this autoimmune character, and various autoimmune markers have been described in type1 diabetes, a number of specific and nonspecific
antigens have been identified. The major autoantigen involved in the destructive process of beta-cells leading to the development of type 1 diabetes is glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD).
The aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence of anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (Anti-GAD) antibodies in Iraqi children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. A total of 60 patients (34 males and 26 females) with type 1 DM and 20 of their age and gender matched control group was included in this study. The mean age for the patients, disease duration and body mass index was 9.8 ± 4.7year, 2.7 ± 1.5years and 17.8±3 kg/m2 In patients with type 1 DM, positive anti-GAD was detected in 45(75%), while non of the control group showed positive results for anti GAD antibody with a significant difference between them (p=0.001). Out of the 45 patients with positive anti GAD antibody, 19(42.2%) were males and 26(57.8%) were females.
Comparing the results of group of children with anti GAD antibody and the group without detectable autoantibodies showed that there were no significant differences in age, HbA1C, random blood sugar and fasting blood sugar. However the results showed a significant statistical difference (P˂0.05) between the group with positive anti GAD and the group with negative anti GAD in disease duration and BMI