Diabetes‐related autoantibodies do appear in children with coeliac disease

Humoral immune factors related to type 1 diabetes have been investigated in children with coeliac disease. Anti‐insulin (IAAb), immunoglobulin (αIgAb), islet cell (ICA) and glucagon autoantibodies were examined in 15 children with coeliac disease at diagnosis (group 1), in 15 children with coeliac disease following a gluten‐free diet (group 2) and in 30 control patients (groups 3 and 4). IAAb were present in 27% of group 1 and in 20% of group 2 patients and αIgAb were significantly increased in group 1 and 2 patients; two patients in group 2 were positive for ICA; none of the coeliac disease patients were positive for anti‐glucagon antibodies. The levels of anti‐gliadin antibodies in group 1 were positively correlated with those of αIgAb. Coeliac disease‐related HLA antigens were not correlated with antibody presence. The presence of diabetes‐related humoral immune factors in coeliac disease raises the question as to whether or not they are predictive of subclinical pancreatic damage or whether they are simply indicators of a more general autoimmune diathesis.