Abstract
The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between infectious diseases and other events pertaining to childhood medical history and type 1 diabetes. A case-control study was carried out, taking as cases 159 type 1 diabetic patients (0–29 years) recorded from 1988 to 2000 within the population registry of the Pavia province (North Italy). As controls 318 non-diabetic subjects were matched by age and sex. A questionnaire was administered by standardised interviewers. Data were analysed by conditional logistic regression. Viral childhood diseases (OR 4.29; 95%CI 1.57–11.74) and bottle feeding (OR 1.83; 95%CI 1.08–3.09) were directly correlated to type 1 diabetes; an inverse correlation was found for vitamin D administration during lactation (0–14 years) (OR 0.31; 95%CI 0.11–0.86) and for history of scarlet fever in both sexes and age groups (OR 0.19; 95%CI 0.08–0.46). Most associations of the studied variables confirm already known findings. The significant inverse correlation of type 1 diabetes with scarlet fever history is a peculiar finding, the meaning of which is still obscure, although it has been recently described that streptococcal A infections are regulated by HLA class II alleles.
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*Pavia T1DM Registry Group: L. Bobba (Stradella), A. Buratti (Casorate P.), L. Cacciabue (Vigevano), P. De Cata (Pavia), M. Lorena (Mortara), E. Lovati (Pavia), C. Mezzogori (Vigevano), A. Rea (Pavia), M. Rebagliati (Voghera), P. Romagnoli (Voghera), M. Romani (Vigevano), B. Solerte (Pavia), T. Tognin (Casorate P.), A. Vailati (Pavia)
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Tenconi, M.T., Devoti, G., Comelli, M. et al. Major childhood infectious diseases and other determinants associated with type 1 diabetes: a case-control study. Acta Diabetol 44, 14–19 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-007-0235-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-007-0235-9