Type 1 diabetes and measles, mumps and rubella childhood infections within the Italian Insulin-dependent Diabetes Registry.

AIMS: Several studies confirmed the growing rate of Type 1 diabetes mellitus in childhood coinciding with increasing diagnosis of viral infections. A study investigating the incidence of Type 1 diabetes during 1996-1997 showed a higher notification of viral infections in the Pavia District. The aim was to confirm these results. METHODS: This study evaluated the relationship between new cases of Type 1 diabetes and those of measles, mumps and rubella in 1996-2001, analysing data of newly-diagnosed Type 1 diabetes children, aged 0-14 years and enrolled into the RIDI (Italian Insulin-dependent Diabetes Registry) during the same years. Measles, rubella and mumps rates were calculated using as denominator the estimated 'population at risk', represented by the number of 0- to 14 year-old subjects who did not undergo the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination. In order to investigate the association between Type 1 diabetes incidence and measles, rubella and mumps respectively, Spearman's rank correlation was used. RESULTS: The analysis of the whole Registries data did not at first show any statistical significance between age-standardized Type 1 diabetes incidence density and estimated rates of measles, mumps and rubella notifications. Excluding data from Sardinia Registry, a significant association was observed between Type 1 diabetes incidence and mumps (P = 0.034) and rubella (P = 0.014), respectively, while there was no statistical significance between the incidence of measles cases and diabetes rates (P = 0.269). CONCLUSIONS: According to our findings, mumps and rubella viral infections are associated with the onset of Type 1 diabetes. The statistical significance observed after exclusion of the Sardinian data suggests that other environmental factors may operate over populations with different genetic susceptibility.

Long-acting Insulin Analogs Effect on gh/igf Axis of Children with Type 1 Diabetes: a Randomized, Open-label, Two-period, Cross-over Trial.

BACKGROUND: Growth hormone (GH) secretion is increased in pre-pubertal children with type 1 diabetes and GH excess produces insulin resistance. Early-morning insulinopenia contributes to lower insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) levels and to GH hypersecretion. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate differences in GH/IGF-I axis of pre-pubertal children with type 1 diabetes treated with glargine or detemir as long-acting insulin analogues, which was the main outcome measure, and to compare insulin effects in obtaining good metabolic control. SUBJECTS: Children with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: This was a 32-week, randomized, open-label, two-period, cross-over comparison between bedtime glargine and twice-daily detemir insulin, involving pre-pubertal children in care at a diabetes pediatric centre. After a 8-week-run-in period subjects were randomized to bedtime glargine or twice-daily detemir insulin administration. After a 12-week period treatments were inverted and continued for additional 12 weeks. RESULTS: Overall, 15 pre-pubertal children (53.3% males, mean age 8.6±1.5 years, duration of diabetes 4.2±1.5 years) completed the study. Groups did not differ for GH/IGF axis and HbA1c levels. Treatment with glargine was associated with lower fasting glucose values than treatment with detemir (8.1±1.5 vs. 8.2±1.7 mmol/L, p=0.01). Incidence rate of hypoglycemia was not different between insulin treatments (IRR=1.18, 95%CI 1.00-1.38; p=0.07). Detemir treatment was associated with a higher increase in body weight (p=0.008) and height (p=0.02) when compared with glargine. CONCLUSION: Detemir and glargine not show significant differential effects on the GH/IGFI axis. The greater weight gain and height associated with detemir treatment, apparently not related to the level of pubertal growth, deserve further investigation.

Health-related quality of life and treatment preferences in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The VIPKIDS study.

A multi-centre, observational, cross-sectional study was carried out to determine whether the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of adolescents with type 1 diabetes is affected by different insulin treatment systems, and which features of HRQOL are impacted by the respective insulin treatment. The study regarded 577 adolescents, aged 10-17 years, with type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) (n = 306) or multiple daily injections (MDI) (n = 271). The Insulin Delivery System Rating Questionnaire was validated in Italian and was self-completed by the subjects during a routine visit to the centres. Subjects were compared following the domains of the questionnaire. Good HRQOL was seen in subjects treated with either MDI or CSII. Significant differences were not found in the domains for general diabetes, including diabetes worries, social burden and psychological well-being. Multiple quantile regression analysis showed that CSII confers significant advantages in terms of HRQOL with improvements in treatment satisfaction, perceived clinical efficacy and reduction in treatment interference with daily activities. This favourable impact was more evident in subjects reporting lower HRQOL scores, suggesting that CSII may be especially useful for individuals perceiving a poor HRQOL. Analysis of the domains indicated that CSII was associated with a higher HRQOL than MDI. Life-course HRQOL evaluation using a standardised questionnaire can ensure better chronic disease management. This is particularly important when providing individualised care for adolescents, as they become increasingly responsible for managing their diabetes.

Large incidence variation of Type I diabetes in central-southern Italy 1990-1995: lower risk in rural areas.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: To evaluate the relation between the incidence of childhood Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and the degree of urbanization in the central-southern part of Italy. METHODS: The incidence was determined in two areas: area A encompasses 3 regions of central-eastern Italy (Marche, Abruzzo, Umbria), whereas area B encompasses one southern region (Campania). During 1990-1995, 706 children aged 14 or under with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus of recent onset were registered. The completeness of the case ascertainment in the registries analysed separately for each region was high, ranging from 96.3 % to 99%. RESULTS: The age-standardized incidence was higher in area A (9.6 per 100000 person per year; 95 % confidence interval: 8.5-10.8) than in area B (5.4 per 100000 person per year; 95% confidence interval: 4.9-6.0). In both areas the standardized incidence ratios increased with the degree of urbanization (chi-squared for trend: area A= 140, p < 0.0001; area B = 79, p < 0.0001). The highest standardized incidence ratios were in the most urban communities. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: This study showed a statistically significant difference in incidence of childhood insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus among different areas of the continental peninsula of Italy. People living in the rural communities appear to have a lower risk.