Autoantibodies in the Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Overview

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is considered an autoimmune disease. The immune response is targeted onautoantigens of B-cells of the islets of Langerhans. The most important autoantigens are glutamic acid decarboxylase,protein tyrosine phosphatase and insulin. Despite the fact that their role in the pathogenesis of insulin-dependentdiabetes mellitus is not clear, they are used in diagnosis and can identify subjects at high risk for the developmentof the disease.

Key words:
insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, autoimmune disease, autoantibodies, glutamate decarboxylase,tyrosine phosphatase.