Antibody tests

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…(the antibodies don’t have around after all the beta cells have been splatted)…

I know I’ve asked you this before, Mike, so I’m more asking everyone else for theories:

I still had antibodies more than 25 years after diagnosis. Does this mean I still have some beta cells popping up (that my immune system is merrily killing off in a kind of diabetic Whackamole 🙄 ) or are the antibodies just sitting there waiting and all primed in case a beta cell appears (eg through an islet transplant), or are they just left over from the initial immune attack all those years ago? I did ask my consultant briefly but our conversation was covering a lot in a short time, so I didn’t really get a response as she had moved on to something else. I’ve tried googling but they all say antibodies aren’t found too long after diagnosis.

Does the Joslin Centre have anything interesting on this in regard to their 50, 60, and 70 year medallists?

I’m pretty sure they have studies showing some still have cPeptide and are antibody positive - which suggests beta cells hanging in there (and being killed off) perhaps in just the way you describe?
 
Thanks @everydayupsanddowns I’ll take a look. My C Peptide test wasn’t very high (but the test was potentially a bit messed up, I think, because they suddenly decided to do it and I hadn’t prepared with regard to food/insulin/blood sugar level).
 
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