Detection of LADA in a Hospital in the Mexican Southeast

Patients with Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) show autoantibodies that indicate an autoimmune pathogenesis. Glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA) are most prevalent islet autoantibodies in European patients with LADA. In this sense, it is considered that it is sufficient to determine GADA to identify subjects with LADA from patients with T2D for research purposes. Therefore, the aim was to investigated the presence of GADA in serum of subjects with T2D and its relationship with clinical criteria, metabolic control, drug treatment, and diabetes complications to identify possible patients with LADA in a hospital in southeastern Mexico is worthwhile.

The sample was recruited at the Diabetes Clinic of the Regional Hospital of High Specialty "Dr. Gustavo A. Rovirosa Pérez", in the period from January 2020 to May 2021. The diagnosis was based in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO, 1999) criteria. Inclusion criteria: 1) patients previously diagnosed with T2D, 2) absence of insulin requirement for at least 6 months after diagnosis, 3) > 30 and < 50 years old at diabetes diagnosis, 4) BMI < 40 kg/m2, 5) subjects who agreed to participate in the study and signed the informed consent before the interview.

Serum GADA and other biochemical concentrations were determined by an enzymatic immunoassay method (Human Anti-Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase ELISA Kit; MyBioSource).