Genetic, autoimmune, and clinical characteristics of childhood- and adult-onset type 1 diabetes.
Diabetes Care
; 23(9): 1326-32, 2000 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10977027
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To assess whether there are any differences in genetic, autoimmune, or clinical features between type 1 diabetes presenting in childhood and that diagnosed later. RESEARCH DESIGN ANDMETHODS:
We studied 352 individuals (252 children and adolescents <20 years of age and 100 adults > or =20 years of age) manifesting clinical signs of type 1 diabetes over a period of 7.5 years at a university hospital in northern Finland with a primary catchment area population of approximately 300,000. The patients were analyzed for susceptible and protective HLA-DQB1 alleles (*02, *0302, *0301, *0602, *0603, and *0604), islet cell antibodies (ICA), insulin autoantibodies, and antibodies to GAD and IA-2 (IA-2A). Their clinical symptoms and signs were recorded at diagnosis.RESULTS:
The adult patients carried the high-risk DQB1*02/0302 genotype less frequently than the children and more often had protective genotypes. They also had a decreased frequency of all 4 single autoantibody specificities and of multiple (> or =3) autoantibodies. The proportion of patients testing negative for all autoantibodies was lower among the children than among the adults. IA-2A were associated with the DQB1*0302/x genotype in both the children and adults, and the same held true for ICA among the adults. The adults were characterized by a higher proportion of males, a longer duration of symptoms, and a lower frequency of infections during the preceding 3 months. In addition, they had a higher relative body weight on admission and milder signs of metabolic decompensation (higher pH, base excess, and bicarbonate concentrations) and a lower glycated hemoglobin level at diagnosis than the children.CONCLUSIONS:
Clinical manifestation of type 1 diabetes before the age of 20 years is associated with a strong HLA-defined genetic disease susceptibility, an intensive humoral immune response to various beta-cell antigens, a higher frequency of preceding infections, and a shorter duration of symptoms and more severe metabolic decompensation at diagnosis. Taken together, these observations suggest that the age at clinical onset of type 1 diabetes is determined by the intensity of the beta-cell-destructive process, which is modulated by both genetic and environmental factors.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Autoantibodies
/
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
Diabetes Care
Year:
2000
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Finland