Development of autoantibodies to islet antigens during childhood: Implications for preclinical type 1 diabetes screening

Abstract

Objective: Serum islet antibodies signify increased risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Knowledge of the relationship between age and seroconversion would guide screening for at-risk individuals. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of islet antibody screening in early childhood, in particular the proportion of negative children who subsequently seroconverted. Methods: We identified 554 children with a first-degree relative with T1D who had tested negative for islet cell antibodies (ICA) and insulin autoantibodies (IAA) when first screened at a mean age of 7.2yr. Of 423 who were eligible, 350 consented to re-testing for ICA and IAA and antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADAb) and tyr..