Beta-cell autoantibodies in children with type 2 diabetes mellitus: subgroup or misclassification?

In adults, a fraction of diabetic individuals with beta-cell autoantibodies has initially non-insulin requiring diabetes clinically appearing as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), named latent autoimmune diabetes in adulthood (LADA). The occurrence of beta-cell autoantibodies in European children and adolescents with T2DM has not been reported so far.

The frequency of beta-cell autoantibodies (anti-GAD, anti-IA-2, and anti-ICA) was determined in 7050 diabetic children and adolescents. The type of diabetes was classified by paediatric diabetic specialists based on the clinical presentation. Children with non-insulin dependent T2DM over a one year period were studied separately.

A total of 6922 children were clinically classified as having type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and 128 children as having T2DM. Thirty six per cent of the children with T2DM had at least one detectable beta-cell autoantibody. These children did not differ significantly from the children with T2DM and without autoantibodies in respect of age, gender, weight status, lipids, blood pressure, C-peptide, glucose, and HbA1c at manifestation, as well as frequency of anti-thyroidal antibodies and insulin treatment during follow up. In the subgroup of the 38 children with T2DM without insulin requirement over a one year period, autoantibodies occurred in 32%. These 12 children were predominantly obese (67%), female (67%), and in the pubertal age range.

beta-cell autoantibodies were detectable in a subgroup of initially non-insulin dependent diabetic children and adolescents with the clinical appearance of T2DM. Following the terminology "latent autoimmune diabetes in adulthood (LADA)", this subgroup might be classified as "LADY" (latent autoimmune diabetes in youth).