Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults LADA
Diabetes
LADA Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults LADA
Slowly evolving immune-mediated diabetes, or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults LADA, is a form of diabetes that exhibits clinical features similar to both type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and is sometimes referred to as type 1.5 diabetes. It is an autoimmune form of diabetes, similar to T1D, but patients with LADA often show insulin resistance, comparable to T2D, and share some risk factors for the disease with T2D. Studies have shown that LADA patients have certain types of antibodies against the insulin-producing cells, and these cells stop producing insulin more slowly than in T1D patients.
LADA appears to share genetic risk factors with both T1D and T2D but is genetically distinct from both. Genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity within the LADA patient group has been observed with varying degrees of insulin resistance and autoimmunity. With our knowledge today, LADA can thus be described as a hybrid form of T1D and T2D, showing phenotypic and genotypic similarities with both and variations within LADA regarding the degree of autoimmunity and insulin resistance.
The concept of LADA was first introduced in 1993. However, The Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus does not recognize the term; instead, it includes it under the standard definition of diabetes mellitus type 1.
Symptoms
The symptoms of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults are similar to those of other forms of diabetes: polydipsia (excessive thirst and drinking), polyuria (excessive urination), and often blurred vision. Compared to juvenile type 1 diabetes, the symptoms develop slowly for at least six months.
A fasting blood sugar level of ≥ 7.0 mmol / L (126 mg/dL) is used in the general diagnosis of diabetes.[16] There are no clear guidelines for diagnosing LADA. Still, the criteria often used are that the patient should develop the disease in adulthood, not need insulin treatment for the first 6 months after diagnosis, and have autoantibodies in the blood.
To diagnose diabetes correctly, glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody (GADA), islet cell autoantibody (ICA), insulinoma-associated (IA-2) autoantibody, and zinc transporter autoantibody (ZnT8) testing should be performed.
Persons with LADA typically have low, although sometimes moderate, levels of C-peptide as the disease progresses. Those with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes are more likely to have high levels of C-peptide due to an overproduction of insulin.
Autoantibodies
Destruction of Glutamate decarboxylase (pictured here) via autoantibodies is strongly linked with LADA type 1 diabetes.
Glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA), islet cell autoantibodies (ICA), insulinoma-associated (IA-2) autoantibodies, and zinc transporter autoantibodies (ZnT8) are all associated with LADA; GADAs are commonly found in cases of diabetes mellitus type 1.
The presence of islet cell complement-fixing autoantibodies also aids in a differential diagnosis between LADA and type 2 diabetes. Persons with LADA often test positive for ICA, whereas people with type 2 diabetes seldom do.
Persons with LADA usually test positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies, whereas, in type 1 diabetes, these antibodies are more commonly seen in adults than in children. In addition to being useful in making an early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus, GAD antibody tests are used for differential diagnosis between LADA and type 2 diabetes. They may also be used for differential diagnosis of gestational diabetes, risk prediction in immediate family members for type 1, and as a tool to monitor the prognosis of the clinical progression of type 1 diabetes.
Prevalence
Since there is no regular autoantibody screening, patients with LADA are at risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which makes it difficult to estimate the prevalence of LADA. Globally, it is estimated that about 8.5% of adults have some form of diabetes, and it is estimated that LADA accounts for about 3-12% of all adult diabetes cases. Estimates from 2015 are saying that there could be as many as 10–20% of people with diabetes having LADA.
Risk factors
Limited research exists on LADA and its etiology. As with T1D and T2D, the risk of LADA depends on genetic and environmental factors. Genetic risk factors for LADA are similar to those for T1D, i.e., it is affected by the HLA complex, but genetic variants associated with T2D have also been identified in LADA. LADA has several lifestyle risk factors in common with T2D, such as obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, and consumption of sweetened beverages, all of which are linked to insulin resistance.
Several studies have shown that obesity increases the risk of LADA, and one showed that the risk was particularly high in combination with having diabetes in the family. Physical activity also affects the risk of LADA, with less physical activity increasing the risk. A Swedish study showed that low birth weight, in addition to increasing the risk of T2D, increases the risk of LADA.
Although smoking has been shown to increase the risk of T2D while coffee consumption has been shown to reduce the risk of T2D, the results regarding these products and LADA are unclear. However, results from two studies based on the same population indicate that coffee consumption increases the risk of LADA. Other foods that have been shown to increase the risk of LADA are sweetened beverages and processed red meat, while consuming fatty fish has been shown to have a protective effect.
Diabetes is a chronic disease, i.e., it cannot be cured, but symptoms and complications can be minimized with proper treatment. Diabetes can lead to elevated blood sugar levels, which in turn can lead to damage to the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. There are very few studies on treating LADA, probably due to difficulties in classifying and diagnosing the disease. LADA patients often do not need insulin treatment immediately after being diagnosed because their insulin production decreases more slowly than T1D patients, but in the long run, they will need it. About 80% of all LADA patients initially misdiagnosed with type 2 (and who have GAD antibodies) will become insulin-dependent within 3 to 15 years (according to differing LADA sources).
The treatment for Type 1 diabetes/LADA is exogenous insulin to control glucose levels, prevent further destruction of residual beta cells, reduce the possibility of diabetic complications, and avoid death from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Although LADA may appear to initially respond to similar treatment (lifestyle and medications) as type 2 diabetes, it will not halt or slow the progression of beta cell destruction, and people with LADA will eventually become insulin-dependent.[33] People with LADA have insulin resistance similar to long-term type 1 diabetes; some studies showed that people with LADA have less insulin resistance compared with those with type 2 diabetes; however, others have not found a difference.
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