Two types of autoantibodies to adrenal medullary cells in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients: Prevalence, properties and implications

Complement-fixing adrenal medullary antibodies were examined in sera from 170 (114 Type 1 and 56 Type 2) diabetic patients and normal subjects by indirect immunofluorescence methods. Two types of antibodies were detected; one showed a homogeneous immunofluorescence pattern (homogeneous-type) and the other a spotty pattern (spotty-type) in the cytoplasm of adrenal medullary cells. Both antibodies were IgG class and adrenal medulla-specific. The prevalence of the homogeneous-type was significantly higher in Type 1 diabetic patients with disease duration under 1 year (36%) than in those with duration of 1 year or more (1.1%), in Type 2 diabetic patients (1.8%) or in normal subjects (0%; P