Extended family history of type 1 diabetes in HLA-predisposed children with and without islet autoantibodies

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the extended family history of type 1 diabetes in children at genetic risk and define the impact of a positive family history on the development of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. Methods The subjects were participants in The Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) study and carried increased HLA-conferred risk for type 1 diabetes. The case children (n=343) were positive for at least one islet autoantibody, and the control children (n=343) matched by age, gender and class II HLA genotype were negative for islet autoantibodies at the time of data collection. Extended family history of type 1 diabetes was obtained by using a structured questionnaire. Results Among children who were autoantibody positive and progressed to type 1 diabetes 62.2% (28/45) had at least one relative with type 1 diabetes. Interestingly, 57.8% of these children (26/45) had such a relative outside the nuclear family compared to 30.7% of children with no autoantibodies (P=0.001), 35.2% of those with only classical islet cell antibodies (P=0.006), and 35.2% of non-progressors with biochemical autoantibodies (P=0.011). A positive history of type 1 diabetes in the paternal extended family was more common in children with multiple biochemical autoantibodies compared to those with only one biochemical autoantibody (P=0.010). No association between the specificity of the first appearing autoantibody and family history of the disease was found. Conclusions Type 1 diabetes in relatives outside the nuclear family is a significant risk factor for islet autoimmunity and progression to clinical disease in HLA susceptible children. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.