Erratum to: Diagnostic criteria for slowly progressive insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes mellitus (SPIDDM) (2012): report by the Committee on Slowly Progressive Insulin-Dependent (Type 1) Diabetes Mellitus of the Japan Diabetes Society

Diagnostic criteria for slowly progressive insulin-dependent (Type 1) diabetes mellitus (SPIDDM) have been proposed by the Committee on Slowly Progressive Insulin-dependent (type 1) Diabetes Mellitus of the Japan Diabetes Society. Two criteria must be met for definitive diagnosis: the presence of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADAb) and/or islet cell antibodies (ICA) at some time during the clinical course of the diabetes, and the absence of ketosis or ketoacidosis at the onset (or diagnosis) of diabetes mellitus and no need for insulin treatment to correct hyperglycemia immediately after diagnosis. It is still unclear whether insulinoma-associated antigen-2 autoantibodies (IA-2Ab), insulin autoantibodies (IAA), or zinc transporter 8 autoantibodies (ZnT8Ab) are essential markers for diagnosis for SPIDDM. Hence, the presence of IA-2Ab, IAA, and ZnT8Ab were excluded from these diagnostic criteria for SPIDDM. Furthermore, ketosis or ketoacidosis can be observed in cases in which SPIDDM is complicated by soft-drink ketosis. Supplementary information for diagnosis include: most SPIDDM patients will need insulin treatment more than 3 months after onset (or diagnosis) of diabetes mellitus and frequently progress to an insulin-dependent state; sometimes, for clinical reasons, early insulin treatment is started when GADAb or ICA are positive both for child and adult-onset cases; GADAb and/or ICA often become negative during the course of the disease; and a small proportion of patients might maintain endogenous beta-cell function more than 10 years after the onset (or diagnosis) of diabetes mellitus, irrespective of the titer of GADAb and ICA.