Islet Autoantibodies (Insulin Autoantibodies)

Clinical significance

  • Islet auto antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system that is associated with type 1 diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is a condition characterized by lack of insulin due to autoimmune process that destroys the Insulin producing beta cells in Pancreas. Islet auto antibodies can be present prior to diagnosis of type 1 Diabetes and appear prior to insulin treatment. 
  • Type 1 Diabetes, previously known as juvenile or insulin dependent diabetes has been re-characterized to reflect absolute insulin deficiency. When autoimmune type 1 diabetes is present, one or more of the auto antibodies is present in approximately 70 % of children and adolescents. Early appearance of IAA particularly helps in prediction of diabetes in young children. 
  • Other common diabetes related autoantibody tests are Islet cell cytoplasmic autoantibodies, Glutamic acid decarboxylase auto antibodies, Insulinoma associated 2 auto antibodies , Zinc transport 8 auto antibodies.

When to get tested

  • When a person is newly diagnosed with diabetes and to distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes 
  • When a person with type 2 diabetes is having difficulty in controlling glucose levels with treatments , In such case a positive islet autoantibody can indicate that diagnosis is type 1 diabetes and not type 2 diabetes.

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