A clinical correlation of anti-DNA-AGE autoantibodies in type 2 diabetes mellitus with disease duration

Nonenzymatic glycation of amino groups of DNA bases by reducing sugars can generate advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Cellular formation of AGEs under normal physiology is continuously scanned and removed by efficient system in the cells. However, excess formation and accumulation of AGEs may be cause or consequence of some human diseases. Mammalian DNA incubated with d-glucose for 28 days at 37°C showed structural changes in DNA as confirmed by UV, fluorescence, CD, melting temperature, S1 nuclease sensitivity and gel electrophoresis. Formation of DNA-AGE was confirmed by HPLC and LC-MS. Enzyme immunoassay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay of autoantibodies in type 2 diabetes patients' sera with disease duration of 5-15 years exhibited significantly high binding with DNA-AGE as compared to patients with 1-5 years of disease duration. Autoantibodies against aberrant DNA-AGE may be important in the assessment of initiation/progression of secondary complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.