Sardinian Type 1 diabetes patients, Transthyretin and Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection

TTR exerts also a functional role in the pancreas promoting insulin release and protecting β-cells from death.Our objective was to identify a protein that could be used as a diagnostic marker of T1D for determining disease progression and monitoring at-risk patients. We postulate that serological TTR levels would be reduced in T1D MAP exposed patients. Our hypothesis is based on the observation of cases of T1D patients with decreased TTR levels beside the reduced TTR plasma levels in ovines with Johne’s disease.We quantified the plasma protein levels of TTR in 50 people with T1D and 51 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).Our pilot study showed that plasma TTR levels were not significantly lower/higher in T1D Sardinian cases compared to the HCs.These preliminary data indicate that plasma TTR may not be a good candidate biomarker for T1D diagnosis and further studies to elucidate the possible link are needed.T1D is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by progressive T cell mediated β-cell destruction. The presence of autoantibodies (aAbs) against islet antigens is a hallmark for the development of T1D [1]. Islet aAbs titers against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65), insulinoma associated protein-2 (IA-2), and zinc transporter 8 (Znt8) are routinely measure out alone or in combination as biomarkers for T1D risk assessment. They are as well useful in the identification and characterization of adult-onset autoimmune diabetes [2]. Notwithstanding the aforementioned biomarkers, the existing tests for T1D prediction are still imperfect and newer biomarkers need to be found. Transthyretin (TTR) is a 55 kDa homotetramer and it is the major carrier of serum thyroxine, tri-iodothyronine, and vitamin A (retinol) through association with retinol-binding protein [3].TTR exerts also a functional role in the pancreas promoting insulin release and protecting β-cell from death [4]. Interestingly a mass spectrometry surface-