Diabetes Care, Vol 20, Issue 12 1896-1899, Copyright © 1997 by American Diabetes Association
Serum autoantibodies against sulfatide and phospholipid in NIDDM patients with diabetic neuropathy
H Shigeta, M Yamaguchi, K Nakano, H Obayashi, R Takemura, M Fukui, M Fujii, K Yoshimori, G Hasegawa, N Nakamura, Y Kitagawa and M Kondo
Osaka General Hospital of West Japan Railway Company, Japan.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated the presence of antisulfatide and
antiphospholipid antibodies and the relationship between these antibodies
and the results of quantitative tests of nerve function in NIDDM patients
with diabetic neuropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Antisulfatide and
antiphospholipid antibodies were measured in serum samples obtained from 68
NIDDM patients with diabetic neuropathy by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA). Each patient was classified into one of three groups based
on the combined neuropathy score (determined by the symptom score, the
results of autonomic nerve function tests, and the vibration perception
test), as follows: mild (n = 26), moderate (n = 22), and severe (n = 20).
Nerve conduction studies were performed in a subgroup of 37 patients.
RESULTS: The antisulfatide antibody was detected in 1 (4%) of 26 patients
in the mild group, 4 (18%) of 22 patients in the moderate group, and 8
(40%) of 20 patients in the severe group (P < 0.01 vs. mild group). The
antiphospholipid antibody was detected in none of the patients in the mild
group, 8 (36%) of 22 patients in the moderate group (P < 0.001 vs. mild
group), and 6 (30%) of 20 patients in the severe group (P < 0.01 vs.
mild group). The threshold amplitude, determined by the vibration
perception test, was significantly higher in antibody-positive patients
than in antibody-negative patients: antisulfatide antibody, 55.9 +/- 46.8
microns (n = 13) vs. 22.9 +/- 13.7 microns (n = 55), P < 0.001;
antiphospholipid antibody, 47.2 +/- 32.5 microns (n = 14) vs. 24.5 +/- 23.2
microns (n = 54), P < 0.01. The conduction velocity of the sural nerve
was slower in the antisulfatide antibody-positive group (37.9 +/- 11.1 m/s,
n = 12) than in the antisulfatide antibody-negative group (45.2 +/- 6.0
m/s, n = 19) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that
autoimmune nerve destruction may be involved in diabetic neuropathy in
NIDDM patients.