(Newswire.net — November 20, 2015) — It is called Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA). The symptoms of this kind of diabetes are similar to those of other forms of diabetes: excessive thirst and drinking, excessive urination, and often blurry vision. Detection of a low C-peptide and raised antibodies against the islets of Langerhans support the diagnosis. It can only be treated with the usual oral treatments for type 2 diabetes for a short period of time, and then insulin treatment is needed as well as treating all the complications of diabetes. The identity of LADA was first described just 22 years ago.
Compared to childhood type 1 diabetes, the symptoms develop comparatively slowly.
It is estimated that more than one half of persons that are diagnosed as non-obese type 2 diabetics may actually have LADA instead of regular type 2 diabetes, there are some important distinctions like antibodies that are found in this kind of diabetes: Glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody (GADA), islet cell autoantibody (ICA), insulinoma-associated (IA-2) autoantibody, and zinc transporter autoantibody (ZnT8), and so testing should be done on adults who are not overweight yet they are diagnosed with diabetes.
However, not all people that have LADA are thin or skinny, there are overweight individuals with LADA who are NOT diagnosed because of their weight. In addition, there is not adequate diagnosis of autoimmune diabetes, and the idea of weight is misleading clinicians into making the wrong diagnosis. This is important for research because of the need to find out why the body if fighting its own cells, which is what happens in this kind of autoimmune disorder.
C-peptide testing can evaluate beta cell function that is still viable, it does that by measuring the level of insulin secretion (C-peptide). Persons with LADA usually have low levels of C-peptide, and this may become more apparent as the disease progresses.
Type 2 is Different
Patients with insulin resistance and or type 2 diabetes are more likely to have elevated levels of C-peptide instead of low levels with LADA. This is caused by an excess of insulin which happens because of insulin resistance or poor response to elevated sugar levels by the beta cells of the pancreas.
Finding the Difference of this kind of diabetes
This is important because of the inflammation and damage to potentially all the cells of the body that happens with insulin resistance. Another factor is the vigilance that is needed due to the potential need for insulin in the near future and for better control of blood sugars and metabolism.
Autoantibody panel
This is a panel that can be ordered by your Doctor and consists of Glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies islet cell autoantibodies, insulinoma-associated autoantibodies, and zinc transporter autoantibodies. It is important to note that Glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies are commonly found in diabetes mellitus type 1.
Islet cell antibodies
Islet Cell IgG Cytoplasmic Autoantibodies, IFA; Islet Cell Complement Fixing Autoantibodies, Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (IFA); Islet Cell Autoantibodies Evaluation; Islet Cell Complement Fixing Autoantibodies, these are helpful in picking a diagnosis between LADA and type 2 diabetes. Persons with LADA often test positive for ICA, type 2 diabetics only seldom do.
Glutamic acid decarboxylase type antibodies
ELISA tests include: Anti-GAD, Anti-IA2, Anti-GAD/IA2 Pool, these are helpful in early diagnosis for type 1 diabetes mellitus, and the GAD antibodies tests are used for differential diagnosis between LADA and type 2 diabetes and may also be used for differential diagnosis of gestational diabetes, risk prediction in immediate family members for type 1, as well as a tool to monitor prognosis of the clinical progression of type 1 diabetes.
Insulin antibodies
These are antibiody tests, they check to see if the body is fighting against itself. They are known as RIA: Anti-GAD, Anti-IA2, Anti-Insulin; Insulin Antibodies all these tests are can be used in early diagnosis for type 1 diabetes mellitus, and they can be used to help tell the difference of LADA and type 2 diabetes, as well as for differential diagnosis of other problems of metabolism such as gestational diabetes, prediction in family members for type 1diabetes and ways to tell if there has been progression of type 1 diabetes. Persons with LADA may test positive for these 3 autoantibodies are not found in persons with type 2 diabetes.
How often does this occur?
It is estimated that there are up to half of all persons, depending on the type of population, that have diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that may have LADA instead of type 2 diabetes. This number accounts for an estimated about ten percent of the total diabetes population in the U.S. and there may be more than 3.5 million persons have this kind of diabetes called LADA.
About the Author
Dr. Buckman is the Chief Medical Officer of Viratech Corp, Viratech, Corp. (OTC: VIRA), a software company focusing on developing disruptor based applications in the communication broadcasting, work flow management, crowd sourced labor and biotechnology fields.
Dr. Buckman has over 39 years of Health Care Experience in a variety of areas of medicine, including research. Dr. Buckman has presented research, published articles and books in the field of medicine, and has given lectures at numerous hospitals and at Medical Conferences. During the last 35 years he has worked to advance a number of medical technologies with a focus on Non-Harmful early detection of disease, with a primary focus on Breast Cancer and Diabetes. He is currently serving on the Industry Advisory Board for the University of Pacific School of Engineering and Computer Science and a Visiting Professor. He has decades of hospital Medical Director experience and has served on over many hospital committees for 35 years, and has served as Medical Director or Associate Director at multiple Institutions.