Serum anti-p53 autoantibodies in patients with type 1 diabetes.

The presence of antibodies reacting with the p53 tumor suppressor protein has been described in patients with some autoimmune disorders. In this study we looked for serum anti-p53 antibodies in 64 patients with autoimmune type 1 diabetes mellitus within 4 mo of diagnosis. The presence of anti-p53 antibodies was observed in 6/64 (9.4%) subjects with type 1 diabetes, and in 1/44 (2.3%) subjects with other organ-specific autoimmune diseases (18 primary biliary cirrhosis, 10 autoimmune hepatitis, 16 thyroid diseases), but in none of 45 control subjects. No relationship was found between antibodies directed against islet- and non-islet-specific antigens and anti-p53 antibodies. These findings support a possible role for p53 in some autoimmune disorders.