Früherkennung von Typ-1-Diabetes durch Inselautoantikörper-Screening – ein Positionspapier der Fr1daPlex-Projektleiter und -Schulungszentren, des BVKJ Bayern und PaedNetz Bayern e.V

Dieses Positionspapier basiert auf der langjährigen klinischen Erfahrung und grundlagen-wissenschaftlichen Forschung der Autoren zur Diagnose und Behandlung von Kindern und Jugendlichen mit einem präsymptomatischen Frühstadium des Typ-1-Diabetes. Der Nutzen sowie potenzielle Nachteile der Früherkennung von Typ-1-Diabetes durch ein Inselautoantikörper-Screening werden kritisch diskutiert. Zudem werden die Perspektiven einer Verzögerung des Ausbruchs der klinischen Stoffwechselerkrankung durch eine Teplizumab-Behandlung adressiert. Wir sehen heute die Chance einer relevanten Verbesserung der therapeutischen Möglichkeiten und der Lebensperspektive betroffener Kinder und Jugendlicher. Wichtige nächste Schritte für die Implementierung eines Inselautoantikörper-Screenings in Deutschland sind die Fortbildung der Kinder- und Jugendärzte, die über das Screening aufklären sollen, die Etablierung von wenigen überregionalen Laboratorien, die die Testung durchführen, und die Ausweitung regionaler Kapazitäten für Schulung und Betreuung der Kinder mit einem Frühstadium des Typ-1-Diabetes. This position paper is based on the authors' many years of clinical experience and basic science research on the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with a presymptomatic early stage of type 1 diabetes. The benefits as well as potential disadvantages of early detection of type 1 diabetes by islet autoantibody screening are critically discussed. In addition, the perspectives of delaying the onset of the clinical metabolic disease through treatment with teplizumab are addressed. Today, we see the chance of a relevant improvement in the therapeutic options and life perspectives of affected children and adolescents. Important next steps for the implementation of islet autoantibody screening in Germany are the training of pediatricians who should inform families about the screening, the establishment of a few transregional laboratories that carry out the test, and the expansion of regional capacities for the training and care of children with an early stage of type 1 diabetes.

Children diagnosed with presymptomatic type 1 diabetes through public health screening have milder diabetes at clinical manifestation

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

We aimed to determine whether disease severity was reduced at onset of clinical (stage 3) type 1 diabetes in children previously diagnosed with presymptomatic type 1 diabetes in a population-based screening programme for islet autoantibodies.

METHODS

Clinical data obtained at diagnosis of stage 3 type 1 diabetes were evaluated in 128 children previously diagnosed with presymptomatic early-stage type 1 diabetes between 2015 and 2022 in the Fr1da study and compared with data from 736 children diagnosed with incident type 1 diabetes between 2009 and 2018 at a similar age in the DiMelli study without prior screening.

RESULTS

At the diagnosis of stage 3 type 1 diabetes, children with a prior early-stage diagnosis had lower median HbA1c (51 mmol/mol vs 91 mmol/mol [6.8% vs 10.5%], p<0.001), lower median fasting glucose (5.3 mmol/l vs 7.2 mmol/l, p<0.05) and higher median fasting C-peptide (0.21 nmol/l vs 0.10 nmol/l, p<0.001) compared with children without previous early-stage diagnosis. Fewer participants with prior early-stage diagnosis had ketonuria (22.2% vs 78.4%, p<0.001) or required insulin treatment (72.3% vs 98.1%, p<0.05) and only 2.5% presented with diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis of stage 3 type 1 diabetes. Outcomes in children with a prior early-stage diagnosis were not associated with a family history of type 1 diabetes or diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic. A milder clinical presentation was observed in children who participated in education and monitoring after early-stage diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Diagnosis of presymptomatic type 1 diabetes in children followed by education and monitoring improved clinical presentation at the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes.

Intermittently Scanned Glucose Values for Continuous Monitoring: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Glycemic Control and Hypoglycemia in 1809 Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Background and Objective: Intermittent scanning continuous glucose monitoring (iscCGM) is increasingly used for glycemic monitoring in diabetes care. In this cross-sectional real-world analysis, iscCGM data were compared to traditional parameters of glycemic control in young people with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Using the DPV registry, most recent data from children and adolescents aged <18 years with uploaded iscCGM sensor profiles with at least 14 days of data and a > 50% completeness were evaluated using recommended parameters of sensor metrics. Analysis was performed stratified by age group, glycemic control, and type of therapy; data were taken from DPV data pool in February 2020. Results: Glucose sensor profiles and clinical data from 1809 individuals (mean age 13.4 years, 53% male, and mean diabetes duration 5.02 years) were evaluated in this study. More than 50% of this population (n = 965) reached the current German treatment target of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) <7.5%. In this target, the mean scanning frequency was higher than in groups with HbA1c >7.5 or >8.0% (12.0 vs. 10.2 vs 7.6 times per day). The group of preschool children had the highest frequency of scanning (16.6 vs. 13.3 times per day in school kids and 7.9 in adolescents), the lowest HbA1c level, and the lowest risk for hypoglycemia (low blood glucose index 0.8 vs. 1.0 vs 1.2). Conclusion: Real-world data will help to determine the value of iscCGM to improve clinical and patient-related outcomes in pediatric diabetology. Not only the use of a device but also the intensity of use seems to have a high and direct impact on glycemic control.

Fasting hypoglycemia is associated with disease progression in presymptomatic early stage type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

In children with presymptomatic type 1 diabetes, intermittent hyperglycemia and rising hemoglobin A1c levels are a known signal of progression toward insulin-dependency. Episodes of hypoglycemia, however, have also been reported in one published case. We investigated the prevalence of hypoglycemia and its association with disease progression in children with presymptomatic type 1 diabetes.

METHODS

We compared the frequency of hypoglycemic fasting blood glucose levels (<60 mg/dL) in 48 autoantibody negative and 167 multiple β-cell autoantibody positive children aged 2 to 5 years. We classified the autoantibody positive children into three categories based on their glucose levels in fasting state (hypoglycemic [<60 mg/dL], normoglycemic [60-99 mg/dL] or hyperglycemic [≥100 mg/dL]). We then compared the glucose levels under challenge during oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) between the three categories.

RESULTS

In the autoantibody positive children, 5.1% of the fasting samples were hypoglycemic, while in the autoantibody negative children no hypoglycemia was observed. Hypoglycemia occurred more often in autoantibody positive children who had already entered stage 2 or stage 3 of type 1 diabetes than in stage 1 patients (P = 0.02). Children who had hypoglycemic compared to normoglycemic fasting blood glucose values had higher 120-minute blood glucose values under OGTT challenge, and a higher rate of pathological OGTTs (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Fasting hypoglycemia seems to be an indicator of disease progression in presymptomatic type 1 diabetes and may therefore represent a novel marker for the identification of children who should be monitored more closely for progression toward insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes.

Recruiting young pre-symptomatic children for a clinical trial in type 1 diabetes: Insights from the Fr1da insulin intervention study

Background

Although detection of children at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes and diagnosis of early stages is possible, up to now there exists no approved therapy to delay or prevent type 1 diabetes. Thus it is vital to develop evidence-based interventions. For this a sufficient number of trial participants is crucial but difficult to obtain especially in asymptomatic children.

Aim

Identifying family characteristics that lead to or impede trial participation and analyze reasons stated by families for non-participation.

Methods

Participants for the Fr1da Insulin Intervention study are recruited from the Fr1da study, a population based screening for early stage type 1 diabetes in Bavaria. Families with eligible children were invited to enroll. We analyzed sex and age of the child, distance of the family to the study center in Munich and the existence of a first degree family member with type 1 as possible influential factors for study participation. We also analyzed reasons stated by families who declined study participation in a phone interview.

Results

Of 146 eligible children 77 (53%) were enrolled into the trial. None of the tested family characteristics differed significantly between the enrolling and the families not participating, but in general enrolling families lived closer to the study site than families not participating. This is also reflected in the reasons given by non-participating families. The most frequent reason stated were time restrictions. The second most frequent reason was the venous blood draw.

Conclusion

The factors for non-participation identified in this project need be taken into account for the design of future trials in young children to ensure proper recruitment and thus to generate valid results for medical treatment of children. More research on the reason of participation and non-participation in clinical trials is needed.