Analysis index

1 ml serum

< 10 IE/ml

Early diagnosis of a type I diabetes mellitus, testing of first-grade relatives of patients with type I diabetes, differentiation between the different types of diabetes.  

On suspicion of type I diabetes or in first grade relatives of type I diabetics, the determination of at least 3 of the 4 markers (islet-cell-, GAD-, insulin- and IA2- and zinc transporter-8 autoantibodies) is recommended. GAD-autoantibodies are detectable in 70 % – 80 % of patients with initial manifestation of type I diabetes mellitus. The absence of autoantibodies however does not rule out diabetes mellitus type I nor a “late autoimmune diabetes of the adult” (LADA). Nevertheless, in 30 % of these patients, zinc transporter-8 autoantibodies are found. The determination of insulin-autoantibodies (not to be confused with islet-cell autoantibodies) is very much age-dependent. In 90 % of children with initial manifestation of type I diabetes mellitus, these are found elevated, in adults only in 20 % of the cases. One speaks of an “idiopathic type I diabetes mellitus”, when there is a permanent, severe insulin deficiency but neither autoantibodies nor an association to certain HLADR/DQA and HLADR/DQB alleles can be found. This is very rare and mainly seen in Asians and Africans. 

Labor Zentrum Weser Prof. Dr. med. Schmitz Minden