Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction

Diabetes is a growing health concern, considered as a worldwilde multifactorial public health challenge especially in developping countries. The concept of seasonality in T1DM diagnosis, has been suggested by different studies, implying the existence of several environmental factors as triggers and potentiators of β-cell destruction. The purpose of this study is to elucidate epidemiological profile and the seasonal variation of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) diagnosis in our center.

Patients and methods

This is a retrospective and prospective data analysis of 115 patients at T1DM onset, followed up in in the endocrinology department of Oujda’s Mohammed VI university hospital. For all statistical tests, P value below 0.05 was pictured as statistically significant.

Results

A total of 115 patients admitted at the onset of T1DM were involved in the study. The overall mean age at diagnosis was 17.3 years ± 8.8. Diabetic ketoacidosis at initial presentation was diagnosed in 54% of patients including 75% cases with pulmonary infection. Classic b-cell autoimmune markers were surveyed ; and 64% were found positive for antiglutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA).The average of initial hemoglobin A1c value was 11.95 ± 2.15%, and the average serum 25OHD concentration was 14.64 ng/ml ± 6.38. More children were diagnosed with T1DM during the cold months as opposed to the warm months, with non significantly difference between boys and girls (P = 0.54). Patients were majoritary born during automne: 24.8% with and the correlation was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The number of patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes was higher during the cooler months of the year compared to the warmer ones. The increase of Vitamin D deficiency during cold months was not statistically significant (P = 0.17)

Conclusion

The number of patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes was higher during the cold months of the year compared to the warmer ones; just as the international reports; implying seasonal viral infections in the progression of the autoimmune process. The global pattern of seasonality of onset of T1DM, puts the local individual studies into a globalc ontext and provides a springboard for further research into aetiological aspects of childhood Type 1 diabetes.