Dr Iwona Ben-Skowronek
Medical University of Lublin, Poland
Title: Effect of associated autoimmune diseases on type 1 diabetes mellitus incidence and metabolic control in children and adolescents
Biography
Biography: Dr Iwona Ben-Skowronek
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases developing in childhood. The incidence of the disease in children increases for unknown reasons at a rate from 3 to 5% every year worldwide. The background of T1DM is associated with the autoimmune process of pancreatic beta cell destruction, which leads to absolute insulin deficiency and organ damage. Complex interactions between environmental and genetic factors contribute to the development of T1DM in genetically predisposed patients. The T1DM-inducing autoimmune process can also affect other organs, resulting in development of additional autoimmune diseases in the patient, thereby impeding diabetes control. The most common T1DM comorbidities include autoimmune thyroid diseases, celiac disease, and autoimmune gastritis; additionally, diabetes can be a component of PAS (Polyglandular Autoimmune Syndrome). The incidence of type 1 diabetes in the syndromes is 4-18% in PAS-1, 60% in PAS-2, and 14,5% in PAS-3. Although clinical manifestations of the disease are usually observed in the third decade of life, the first symptoms may appear in childhood. Therefore, every pediatrician should know PAS symptoms, especially in relation to multiple autoimmune comorbidities accompanying type 1 diabetes The aim of this review is to assess the prevalence of T1DM-associated autoimmune diseases in children and adolescents and their impact on the course of T1DM. The author also presents suggestions concerning screening for other autoimmune diseases indispensable in subjects with diagnosed type 1 diabetes