Pancreatic islet and other autoantibodies in juvenile and adult onset diabetics in Australia.

The prevalence of serum antibodies to the cytoplasm of the pancreatic islet cell (PICA), and of thyroid microsomal (TMA), gastric parietal cell (GPCA) and anti-nuclear (ANA) antibodies was studied in 135 newly diagnosed diabetics presenting to a hospital for adults and 83 children with recent onset diabetes presenting to a children's hospital. The study also included another 144 diabetic children whose disease had been present longer, and 200 control children. There was a high prevalence (87%) of PICA in the children whose diabetes had just been diagnosed in comparison with control children (1%):(P less than .0001). Diabetic children also had a high prevalence (21%) of one or more of the other autoantibodies in comparison with the control children (9%):(P less than .001). Only 26% of the 58 insulin dependent adults had PICA but 33% had other autoantibodies. Two (3%) of the 77 adult diabetics who did not require insulin had PICA; 8% had other autoantibodies.