Autoantibody Kits for Diagnosing Type I Diabetes

Two new assays are designed to monitor the progression of early type 1 diabetes by measuring the levels of islet cell autoantibodies in blood circulation.

Many children with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed only at the point when a diabetic ketoacidosis occurs. This reaction indicates severe, out-of-control diabetes that needs emergency treatment and can lead to coma or death. Many studies show that nondiabetic individuals who express combinations of islet autoantibodies have a much higher risk for type 1 diabetes than individuals who express fewer autoantibodies.

The assays, Gad65 Ab and IA-2 Ab, were developed under the name Delfia by PerkinElmer, Inc. (Boston, MA, USA). The company says its tests are more precise, reproducible, and robust than radio binding assays (RBAs), the current method to test for type 1 diabetes, and are much simpler and far quicker to perform. Data suggest that sensitivity and specificity are similar or better than that obtained with RBA. The assays would be useful to researchers developing new therapies for type 1 diabetes as well as aiding doctors in diagnosing the disease.

"Many international studies have shown that there are fewer emergency cases and deaths in populations where individuals have a knowledge of their individual risk of becoming diabetic,” said Peter Coggins, Ph.D., president of PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences.




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