Diabetes Research to Benefit From Combo Test

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have developed a new method for screening people for type 1 diabetes. They believe this discovery will aid in the search for a vaccine -- or even a cure -- for the disease.

The investigators explain doctors first need to identify people who are most likely to end up with type 1 diabetes before they conduct clinical trials of possible vaccines to protect against the condition. Chemical tests aimed at assessing a person's risk have been around for some time but isn't perfect. Newer tests using biochemical markers are also available but again can't predict all cases.

These researchers wondered whether combining the older and newer tests might elicit better results and tested their theory in nearly 1,500 first-degree relatives of people with type 1 diabetes. Results show people who tested positive for diabetes markers in both tests had an 80 percent chance of getting the disease within about seven years. A bonus came when they also discovered people with a certain subtype of one of the markers are especially vulnerable. These individuals developed diabetes after even fewer years.

"We now have the tools to predict type 1 diabetes, particularly in relatives of type 1 diabetic patients," says study author Massimo Pietropaolo, M.D., who will publish his findings in the December issue of Pediatric Diabetes. "Our study and the new research it leads to will help us better predict risk of type 1 diabetes and identify those who can be involved in major trials in the United States and around the world."

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SOURCE: Presented at the American Medical Association briefing, Diabetes: Understanding & Advancements, New York, Oct. 27, 2005