RESUMO
Background: Advanced glycation end products are associated with chronic complications of diabetes mellitus. This glycation process renders many proteins immunogenic. Aim: To detect the presence of antibodies against albumin, collagen and low density lipoprotein glycation products in boys and teenagers with diabetes mellitus. Patients and methods : Thirty one patients with diabetes mellitus type I, aged 11ñ3.8 years and with a mean duration of disease of 3.7ñ2.7 years and 31 healthy controls aged 12.4ñ5.3 years were studied. Antibodies against glycation end products were detected by ELISA and results were expressed as a ratio of the optical density of the glycated protein/optical density of the native protein. Results : Diabetic patients and healthy controls did not have antibodies against albumin glycation end products. Diabetics had higher levels of antibodies than controls for collagen glycation end products (2.6ñ0.4 and 1.8ñ0.2 respectively, p< 0.01) and low density lipoprotein glycation end products (3.07ñ0.92 and 2.2ñ0.72 respectively, p< 0.05). Conclusions: The biological role of these antibodies is not clear. They could be a depuration mechanism for glycation end products or contribute to chronic complications of diabetes mellitus