Determination of anti-AGE antibodies in human serum.

The aim of this study was to develop an immunoenzyme method for the determination of anti-AGE antibodies in human serum. Human aortic elastin glycated in vitro (AGE-elastin) was used as an antigen, expressing AGE-epitopes, common to all glycated proteins. Polyclonal serum from guinea-pig against AGE-Hemocyanin was obtained according to Nakayama et al. [(1989) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 162: 740-45] and its specificity was tested via direct and competitive ELISA. Sera of 20 type 1 diabetic patients and 20 healthy subjects were tested using the method described. Seventeen patients had elevated levels of competing factors that may be anti-AGE antibodies, compared with the healthy group. The method could be used for investigation of different clinical groups of type 1 diabetic patients. Such a study would help in understanding the pathogenic role of autoantibodies against advanced glycation end products of proteins for the development of long-term diabetic complications.