Albumin-directed antibodies in diabetes: demonstration of human serum albumin-directed IgM autoantibodies.

Sera of 406 individuals, 174 Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients, 125 non-diabetic family members and 107 unrelated control subjects, were screened for the presence of antibodies against glycated albumin. In none of these sera could such antibodies be detected. However, antibodies directed towards monomeric, unmodified human serum albumin were detected in 13 sera. These albumin autoantibodies were of the IgM class, and occurred in sera from nondiabetic persons (0.9-1.6%) and with a five-fold higher frequency in sera from diabetic patients (5.2%). The presence of albumin antibodies was neither related to the presence of diabetic late complications, islet cell antibodies, HLA-status nor duration of diabetes. The albumin antibodies were also found in sera from persons carrying antibodies against mumps (17%) or Epstein-Barr virus.