Possible mechanisms of diabetic fetopathy

Subtitle: Polyclonal antibodies to insulin and insulin receptor in sera of diabetic pregnant women and their newborns

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Poletaev, A.B.^{a; *} | Gnedenko, B.B.^a | Makarova, A.A.^a | Krasnopolsky, V.I.^b | Budykina, T.S.^b | Petrukhin, V.A.^b | Morozov, S.G.^c

Affiliations: [a] The Medical & Ecological Fund “Chernobyl-Test”, 2 Hospitalnaya Square, 111020 Moscow, Russia | [b] The Moscow Regional Research Institute for Obstetrics & Gynecology (MONIIAG), 22-a Pokrovka St., 101000 Moscow, Russia | [c] The Municipal Clinical Hospital No 29, 2 Hospitalnaya Square, 111020 Moscow, Russia

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Alexander B. Poletaev, 102/47 Profsoyuznaja St., apt. 143, 117485 Moscow, Russia. Fax: +7095 434 70 98; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: By using immunoaffine chromatography and ELISA it was found that 30–35% polyclonal of anti-insulin antibodies (Ab1) in sera of diabetes patients has bound with high-affinity to Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). This indicates the presence of common epitop(s) in both molecules and could be a reason for NGF deprivation during formation of the nervous system in fetuses of diabetic pregnant women. Patient sera also usually characterized by elevated level of antiidiotypic antibodies (AIAb2) which interact with membrane insulin receptors, and may induce the general metabolic disturbances in fetus and newborns from diabetic mothers, fatal sometimes. High levels of anti-insulin/NGF Ab1 may bind excess of AIAb2 and prevents the insulin receptors dysfunction (typical for newborns in satisfactory health state). On the other hand – children with elevated levels of Ab1 at age 1–3 years often revealed clinical signs of neuropathology.

Keywords: antibody, antiidiotypic antibody, insulin, insulin receptor, nerve growth factor, diabetes mellitus, diabetic fetopathy, neuropathology

DOI: 10.3233/HAB-2000-9401

Journal: Human Antibodies, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 189-197, 2000