Abstract
Disappearance of serum ICA following diagnosis of diabetes is well documented and may be related to a decline in available antigen. Reversion of ICA positive to negative is otherwise rare. We report two exceptional cases: Case 1 whose reversion from ICA positive to negative was followed in 29 months by type 1 diabetes and Case 2 who presented with insulinopenic ICA positive diabetes mellitus with progressive decline in insulin requirements, loss of ICA and return to normal glucose tolerance over 33 months. Case 1 suggests that ICA may be a transient marker of a persisting underlying immune process leading to complete islet destruction.
Case 2 suggests that ICA does not necessarily indicate inevitable progression to total islet cell destruction and that cessation of immune islet cell destruction may occur in association with disappearance of ICA, allowing for islet cell regeneration to occur.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Macmlllan, D., Foster, M. & Key, M. DISAPPEARANCE OF ISLET CELL ANTIBODIES (ICA) MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH EITHER DETERIORATION OR AMELIORATION OF ISLET CELL FUNCTION. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 344 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-01062
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-01062