GAD Numbers?

[cynthiazinn]

Hey everyone,
I got my latest GAD test back today and they are 123 U/mL. I was wondering if anyone knows what the GAD numbers mean? Is there like a range that tells you how bad the destruction is? Can it tell you anything about the progress of your disease?
Thanks in advance,
Cynthia Zinn

[conguitos]

Hey everyone,
I got my latest GAD test back today and they are 123 U/mL. I was wondering if anyone knows what the GAD numbers mean? Is there like a range that tells you how bad the destruction is? Can it tell you anything about the progress of your disease?
Thanks in advance,
Cynthia Zinn

Hi Cynthia,

usually you get a reference frame with the test, for example the reference frame for my tests was given as <9.5 E/l. My result was around 2529 E/l. So I was around 26'000 % higher than what is considered normal.

Without knowing the reference frame for your test, it's impossible to say how "bad" your GAD-65 AB situation is.

The GAD-65 antibodies test indicates how many antibodies against the Glutamate decarboxylase molecule you have in your body.

The GAD-65 molecule helps to process glutamate into GABA, a very important molecule for our nervous system.

Glutamate (glutamic acid) itself is a very important molecule for our nervous system as well, among other things. The problem is that glutamate can be poisonous for it, if it is accumulated, that means if you eat too much glutamate you may have problems.

Apparently glutamate can accumulate in a cell and trigger it's death or overstimulate the nervous system. Sadly, in processed foods, there are huge amounts of glutamate, as it is a cheap "spice".

There are several sources which can be identified for GAD-65 antibodies, like gum infections or thyroid disorders. They are not tied to diabetes, that means that you can have abnormal levels of GAD-65 antibodies and not develop diabetes.

That said, you cannot take you GAD-65 antibody count as an indicative for a beta cell "destruction" progression, if there's a "destruction" in the first place at all. Nor it can tell you about progression of the disorder. To my knowledge, the only way, with current medical science, to know if there's a beta cell destruction and how bad it is, is to extract the pancreas and count beta cells, an impossible and deadly task on a living person.

I, for example, had a high count as posted in the first paragraph. But I don't inject insulin. nor I take any medication, and have quite good numbers just on diet, eliminating milk and its derived products, glutamate, fructose, gluten, cereals in general and keeping my carbohydrate (mostly from dark chocolate) intake below 50gr a day. Actually my diet is a very unhealthy diet according to most nutritionists, yet my overall numbers seem to be excellent. Last A1c was 5.8 and my meter shows now a median of 4.9 or 89 for the last 14 days.

According to my endo, I'm type 1. But in my personal opinion, the actual classification system is not correct and misleading.

Since I miserably failed the glucose tolerance test, It's clear that I have a problem with some carbohydrates, I did the glucose tolerance test and went to 20, around 400 in the US system. So I'm diabetic if I eat the diet recommended by most nutritionists, if I don't, I'm apparently not, so to say. Or I just may be lucky...

But, in my case, I think that my disorder is nervous related, due to a diet that doesn't fit my organism and not due to a supposed beta cell destruction. This is just my personal opinion based on my experience and what I've read in the last 10 months.

Hope I helped you in some way :)

[cynthiazinn]

It was <1. So anything equal to or more than one is considered abnormal. Thanks for your unique view!

[foxl]

GAD antibodies can indicate the potential for beta-cell destruction but apparently they fluctuate, for one thing.

The lab my MD used indicates > 30, almost as if it is a yes-or-no proposition.

You C-pep if you had one is more indicative of insulin production and therefore beta cell function -- and possibly beta cell mass. But, beta cell recovery after a crisis can take 3 - 6 months so it depends on whether you are recovered or still glucotoxic ... and of course that may not apply to you.

Hope this info helps. Unfortunately it does not tell me much. Or my Endo, I guess. She considers me a T2 with antibodies who "may" progress faster to insulin dependency. No idea if or when she will even repeat my C-peptide! :confused: (don't get me wrong -- I will be telling her, er, asking!!!)