Zinc transporter 8 antibodies complement GAD and IA-2 antibodies in the identification and characterization of adult-onset autoimmune diabetes: Non Insulin Requiring Autoimmune Diabetes (NIRAD) 4.
We previously demonstrated the presence of two different populations among individuals with adult-onset autoimmune diabetes: those having either a high titer or a low titer of antibodies to GAD (GADAs).
We have previously demonstrated transgenic plant production and direct oral delivery of a beta cell autoantigen murine GAD67 to prevent autoimmune diabetes in nonobese diabetic mice.
While both isoforms of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) function as important autoantigens in autoimmune diabetes mellitus-GAD65 in humans and GAD67 in the NOD mouse-GAD67 is not synthesized in human pancreatic islets and is thought not to be an autoantigen in human diabetes.
The results suggest that GABA generated by either GAD65 or GAD67 is not critically involved in islet formation and that GAD65 expression is not an absolute requirement for development of autoimmune diabetes in the NOD mouse.