Frequency of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) in Phenotypically Type2 Diabetic Patients in Qom

Latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA) is a slowly progressive form of diabetes managed with diet and oral hypoglycemic agents before becoming insulin requiring. Islet autoantibodies are used for differential diagnosis between LADA and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aims of this study were to investigate the frequency of LADA using islet autontibodies in population with T2DM and characterize clinical and biochemical characteristics of them.
In this cross-sectional study, 86 T2DM patients aged between 28-67 years were tested for the presence of autoantibodies by ELISA technique. The Glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody, Islet Cell Antibody and Insulinoma Antigen2 Antibody were evaluated for diagnosis of LADA patients.
Of 86 T2DM, 35 (40.70%) were antibody positive and 51 (59.30%) persons were negative for any antibody. A significant difference was found between groups in age at study, insulin therapy, C- peptide levels and family history of autoimmune diseases. On the other hand, no significant difference was found between the two groups in other risk factors.
Among our T2DM subjects, the number of LADA patients were not high. Also, multiple autoantibodies were more frequent than single autoantibodies in LADA patients