Renal glucosuria in schoolchildren: Clinical characteristics.

BACKGROUND: We conducted an annual urine glucose screening program at schools, and diagnosed schoolchildren with diabetes at an early stage of the disease. We also identified some cases of renal glucosuria (RG), based on positive urine glucose with normal glucose tolerance. METHODS: During 2000-2015, 3 309 631 schoolchildren participated in the screening program. The positive rate for glucosuria in the first test was approximately 0.1%, whereas on repeat urine test it was approximately 0.05%. In total 350 schoolchildren were positive for glucosuria on detailed examination. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was also used to evaluate glucose intolerance. RESULTS: One hundred and two schoolchildren (29.7%) were diagnosed with diabetes, whereas RG was identified in 246 (70.3%) with normal glucose metabolism. In regard to the characteristics of RG, the percentage of boys was 50.3%, and the mean age at diagnosis was 11.2 ± 2.4 years. Twenty-eight children (11.4%) were overweight (body mass index standard deviation score [BMI-SDS] > +2.0 SD), whereas five (2.0%) were underweight (BMI-SDS < -2.0 SD). First-degree family history was suspected in 176 cases (71.5%). All RG subjects had normal glucose tolerance in the absence of insulin resistance and decreased insulin secretion (homeostasis model assessment for ß-cell function, 78.8 ± 59.5%) on OGTT. CONCLUSIONS: RG is not rare in Japanese schoolchildren with glucosuria. This disorder seems to have a strong genetic background, and to involve less growth retardation and weight loss than expected despite continuous excretion of glucose in urine.

A Pediatric Case of Graves' Hyperthyroidism with Associated Glucose Intolerance Detected by a Urine Glucose Screening Program at School.

We report here a 13-year-old female with Graves' disease, whose diagnostic clue was glycosuria, which was detected by a urine glucose screening program at school. She had had mild general malaise, and a physical examination revealed a slightly enlarged thyroid gland. Hyperthyroidism (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) < 0.01 µU/ml, free triiodothyronine (fT3) 23.57 pg/ml, free thyroxine (fT4) 3.38 ng/dl) and anti-thyroid autoantibodies (TRAb 43.6%) were detected in laboratory tests, and her plasma glucose at 120 minutes was 142 mg/dl in a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. She was diagnosed as having borderline diabetes. These findings revealed a diagnosis of Graves' hyperthyroidism with associated impaired glucose tolerance. Although it is reported that many adults with hyperthyroidism develop disorders of glucose metabolism, pediatric patients rarely have complications of glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus, and there are no previous reports of Graves' disease diagnosed by a urine glucose screening program at school. This case suggests a possibility of abnormalities in glucose metabolism even in pediatric cases of Graves' disease. To avoid overlooking the diagnosis of glucose intolerance associated with hyperthyroidism, a careful medical interview and examination should be performed even if the clinical features are mild.

Clinical characteristics in children with maturity-onset diabetes of the young detected by urine glucose screening at schools in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.

This study aimed to examine the clinical characteristics of young children diagnosed with maturity-onset diabetes (MODY) using urine glucose screening at schools. The study participants were 70 non-obese children who were clinically diagnosed with type 2 diabetes through urine glucose screening at schools in Tokyo between 1974 and 2020. Of these children, 55 underwent genetic testing, and 21 were finally diagnosed with MODY: MODY2 in eight, MODY3 in eight, MODY1 in four and MODY5 in one. A family history of diabetes was found in 76.2% of the patients. Fasting plasma glucose levels did not differ between the different MODY subtypes, while patients with MODY 3, 1, and 5 had significantly higher levels of glycosylated hemoglobin and 2-hour glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test than those with MODY2. In contrast, most patients exhibit mild insulin resistance and sustained ß-cell function. In the initial treatment, all patients with MODY2 were well controlled with diet and exercise, whereas the majority of those with MODY3, 1, and 5 required pharmacological treatment within one month of diagnosis. In conclusion, urine glucose screening in schools appears to be one of the best opportunities for early detection of the disease and providing appropriate treatment to patients.

Recent change in the annual incidence of childhood type 2 diabetes in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

This study evaluated recent changes in the annual incidence of childhood type 2 diabetes in the Tokyo metropolitan area. From 1974 to 2004, a total of 236 students were diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes by the urine glucose screening program at school. The overall incidence of type 2 diabetes was 2.55/100,000. Overall, 83.9% of students with diabetes were obese; junior high school students had a significantly higher incidence than primary school students (0.75 vs. 6.27/100,000). The annual incidences over the 5-yr periods from 1974-2004 were 1.73, 3.23, 3.05, 2.90, 2.70 and 1.41/100,000, respectively. The incidences in 1974-1980 and 2001-2004 were significantly lower than those in 1981-1985, 1986-1990 and 1991-1995, because primary school students in 1974-1980 had a significantly lower incidence (0.27/100,000), and junior high school students in 2001-2004 had a somewhat lower incidence (3.66/100,000) than during 1981-2000. In recent years, Japanese children's lifestyle and eating habits have gradually improved, and this may have contributed to the trend toward decrease in the incidence of type 2 diabetes in 2001-2004 in the Tokyo metropolitan area.