Editorial

Islet autoantibodies in cord blood: maternal, fetal, or neither?

  1. Marian Rewers*

Article first published online: 12 MAR 2002

DOI: 10.1002/dmrr.240

Issue

Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews

Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews

Volume 18, Issue 1, pages 2–4, January/February 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Rewers, M. (2002), Islet autoantibodies in cord blood: maternal, fetal, or neither?. Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, 18: 2–4. doi: 10.1002/dmrr.240

Author Information

  1. Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, 4200 E 9th Avenue, B-140, Denver, CO 80262, USA

*Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, 4200 E 9th Avenue, B-140, Denver, CO 80262, USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 12 MAR 2002
  2. Article first published online: 12 MAR 2002

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Keywords:

  • islet autoantibodies;
  • diabetes;
  • newborn;
  • cord blood;
  • transplacental

Abstract

In high-risk type 1 diabetes populations, up to 3% of the general population newborns may express islet autoantibodies in cord blood and the vast majority of those appear to be maternal autoantibodies that disappear usually before the age of 9 months. Despite recent progress in standardization of autoantibody assays, some of the findings appear to be artifacts or non-IgG-mediated binding phenomena. It remains unclear whether transplacentally transmitted maternal autoantibodies play any role in protecting the offspring of diabetic women from diabetes. The evidence for fetal production of islet autoantibodies is very limited and remains to be validated in large prospective studies currently underway. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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