Beta-cell autoantibodies and diabetes mellitus family history in cystic fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE

To verify whether autoimmunity against beta-cells and family history of type 1 and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) play a role in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF)-related diabetes mellitus (CFRD).

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

The prevalence of beta-cell autoantibodies (GADA and IA-2A) was investigated in a group of patients with CF compared with patients with type 1 DM (DM1) and controls. Family history of DM1 and/or DM2 was investigated among patients with CF.

RESULTS

Frequency of beta-cell autoantibodies was significantly lower (p = 0.0001) in patients with CF with CFRD (IA-2A: 0%; GADA 12.5%) than in patients with DM1 (64.1% vs 52.8%, respectively) and it did not differ from the frequency in patients with CF without CFRD. Prevalence of family history for DM1 or DM2 was not significantly higher in CF patients with CFRD than in CF patients without CFRD.

CONCLUSIONS

The investigated factors did not show correlation with the pathogenesis of CFRD.