Background:  In order to function normally, the pancreas needs GAD. GAD antibodies are named antibodies that target this enzyme. GAD antibodies belong to a category of diabetes-related antibodies that advise the immune system to kill insulin-producing pancreatic cells.  When development of insulin ceases, diabetes develops.  The researchers reported that the existence of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) increases the risk of seven autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and diabetes, in a person.

Aim: To establish the relationship between

the existence of GAD antibodies and viral infections in diabetic patients.

Methods: Blood samples of 180 diabetic patients and 150 healthy individuals in the control group involved males and females were examined for the existence of GAD antibodies and viral infections using ELISA to defect GAD and EBV antibodies and PCR for viral nucleic acid detection techniques.

Result: Type 1 diabetes was 57%, while Type 2 patients were 34%.  It turns out that females have higher rates of type 1 diabetes than males, whereas males have higher rates of type 2 diabetes than females.  Positive findings showed a 49% association between type diabetes and GAD test results and EBV IgM antibodies.  The first form of diabetes showed 37% positive anti-GAD test samples. ELISA technique indicated that 37 percent of the overall antiviral IgM antibodies involved 24.2 percent positive samples for the body of EBV IgM, while diabetics reported second form positive samples for anti-GAD testing and 53.2 percent positive samples for EBV IgM antibodies. 37 percent positive results were observed when ELISA was used to evaluate IgM antibodies. When testing ELISA for the IgG antiviral antibody test, it was found that 90% of the samples had positive results. Type 1 diabetes reported 64 per cent positive samples for anti-GAD screening and 86.4 per cent positive samples for the body of EBV IgG, while 83 per cent positive samples for type 2 EBV testing were shown.  According to the PCR technique, the results showed that 33.3 per cent of the samples had positive results in all diabetic patients, particularly those with anti-GAD antibodies.

Conclusion: This study concluded that high virus infectivity might indicate the relationship between EBV infection and development of anti-GAD antibodies.

Keyword:   Diabetic Mellitus, GAD anti, EBV, ELISA, PCR.