Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus do not carry antibodies against minor islet cell antigens.

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have considerable risk for developing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in life. Autoantibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) and tyrosine phosphatase (IA-2) are strongly associated with autoimmune diabetes and can be useful in early identification of the development of type 1 diabetes in women with GDM. On the other hand antibodies against minor islet antigens in adults can be predictors for autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome. The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of autoantibodies against minor antigens-tissue transglutaminase (TTG), ICA12, and 21-hydroxylase (21-0H)-in GDM patients from southern India. Eighty-six serum samples from GDM subjects and 114 samples from healthy controls were tested for the presence of GAD65 and IA-2Ab as well as for the presence of 21-OH, TTG, and ICA12Ab by radiobinding assay with in vitro translated recombinant human 35S-GAD65, IA-2, TTG, ICA12, and 21-OH antigens. We observed the presence of GAD65 or IA-2 autoantibodies in 41% (35/86) of GDM patients, while none of the patients tested positive for any of the minor autoantibodies. Our results demonstrate that there is a high prevalence of autoantibodies in GDM subjects that are at higher risk of developing autoimmune diabetes later, but none of the patients carries antibodies against minor antigens, which could predict autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome in adults.