Abstract
Aims: This cross-sectional study is aimed at determining whether systemic inflammation, diabetic autoantibodies, and islet β cell dysfunction play a role in the progression of macrovascular complications in patients with autoimmune diabetes. Methods: 202 patients with autoimmune diabetes aged ≥ 35 years and hospitalized in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into three groups based on the severity of peripheral atherosclerosis. Biomarkers of systemic inflammation, diabetes autoantibodies, islet β cell function, and other covariates validated to be associated with macrovascular complications were collected. Correlations between the severity of peripheral atherosclerosis and systemic inflammation, diabetic autoantibodies, and islet β cell function were examined using an ordinal logistic regression model. Results: Of the enrolled patients, 39.1% were male, with a median age of 53 (43, 60) years and a diabetes duration of 96 (36, 216) months. 58 patients had no lesions in the peripheral arteries, 72 had atherosclerosis in the carotid or lower extremity arteries, and the rest had lesions in both arteries. In the multifactor ordinal logistic regression test, positive islet cell cytoplasmic antibody (ICA) and long-term use of lipid-lowering agents were independently associated with peripheral atherosclerosis after adjusting for age and diabetes duration. Conclusions: The correlation between positive ICA and atherosclerosis suggests inflammation at an early stage plays a role in macrovascular complications in autoimmune diabetes. The association between long-term use of lipid-lowering agents and atherosclerosis suggests the need for early screening and intervention for dyslipidemia in patients with autoimmune diabetes.