About the ZnT8 Antibody Test

What is it?

The Zinc Transporter 8 (ZnT8) Antibody Test helps assess the risk of type 1 diabetes. It can be used alone or in combination with other antibody tests, such as the Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase-65 (GAD-65), Insulinoma Antigen-2 (IA-2), and Insulin Antibody Tests.

In symptomatic patients, the presence of one or more of these antibodies confirms the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.1 In asymptomatic patients, the presence of one or more of the antibodies may predict the development of type 1 diabetes.1

Roughly 65% to 80% of children with recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes2,3 and 20% to 40% of adults with type 1 diabetes have antibodies to ZnT8.3,4

When should you use it?

  • In individuals with diabetes of uncertain etiology
  • In obese individuals with acute-onset diabetes with ketoacidosis
  • In lean individuals with nonketotic diabetes
  • In individuals at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes (e.g., those with a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes) in the context of a clinical research study1

What makes it different?

When the ZnT8 Antibody Test is used in conjunction with tests for other autoantibodies (GAD-65, IA-2, insulin), diagnostic sensitivity for type 1 diabetes is improved.2,5,6

Learn more about the ZnT8 antibody test

Let us help you know what’s ahead

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1 American Diabetes Association. Classification and diagnosis of diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2015;38(suppl
   1):S8-S16.

2 Andersson C, Vaziri-Sani F, Delli AJ, et al. Triple specificity of ZnT8 autoantibodies in relationship to HLA
   and other islet autoantibodies in childhood and adolescent type 1 diabetes. Pediatr Diabetes.
   2013;14:97-105.

3 Vaziri-Sani F, Oak S, Radtke J, et al. ZnT8 autoantibody titers in type 1 diabetes patients decline rapidly
   after clinical onset. Autoimmunity. 2010;43:598-606.

4 Kawasaki E, Nakamura K, Kuriya G, et al. Differences in humoral autoreactivity to zinc transporter 8
   between childhood- and adult-onset type 1 diabetes in Japanese patients. Clin Immunol.
   2011;138:146-153.

5 Petruzelkova L, Ananieva-Jordanova R, Vcelakova J, et al. The dynamic changes of zinc transporter 8
   autoantibodies in Czech children from the onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Diabet Med.
   2014;31:165-171.