Viral Infection May Trigger Childhood Diabetes in Utero
A new study from Tel Aviv University suggests that type I diabetes is initiated in utero.
Reposting in it's entirety from Tel Aviv University - aftau.org
Friday, October 03, 2014 10:26:00 AM
TAU research says prenatal exposure to viruses may cause type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases in children.
The incidence of type 1 childhood diabetes has been increasing rapidly worldwide. If blood sugar levels aren't well-controlled, juvenile diabetes can affect nearly every organ of a child's body. And while long-term complications of the disease develop gradually, they may become disabling and even life-threatening. The exact cause of juvenile diabetes has eluded scientists, but a new study from Tel Aviv University suggests a likely trigger before birth.
In a recent paper published in Diabetic Medicine, Prof. Zvi Laron, Professor Emeritus of Pediatric Endocrinology at TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Director of the Endocrinology and Diabetes Research Unit at Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, and Head of the WHO Collaborating Center for the Study of Diabetes in Youth, puts forth evidence that the autoimmune disease is initiated in utero. According to the research, conducted in collaboration with an international team of researchers, women who contract a viral infection during pregnancy transmit viruses to their genetically susceptible fetuses, sparking the development of type 1 diabetes.
Prof. Laron is internationally known for the discovery of the Laron Syndrome, also known as Laron-type Dwarfism, an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by an insensitivity to growth hormone.
The "right season" for diabetes
"We knew that type 1 diabetes was associated with other autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto Thyroiditis, celiac disease, and multiple sclerosis, so we investigated the seasonality of birth months for these respective diseases in Israel and other countries," said Prof. Laron. "We found that the seasonality of the birth of children who went on to develop these diseases did indeed differ from that of the general public.
"In further studies, we found evidence that viral infections of the mother during pregnancy induced damage to the pancreas of the mother and/or the fetus, evidenced by specific antibodies including those affecting the pancreatic cells producing insulin," Dr. Laron said.
Click for original article.
For the study, Prof. Laron and his team of researchers from Israel, the University of Washington, and Lund University, Sweden, conducted blood tests of 107 healthy pregnant women, testing for islet cell autoantibodies — evidence of diabetes that appears years before initial symptoms do. They also tested for anti-rotavirus and anti-CoxB3 antibodies.
The researchers found a striking difference between women tested in different seasons, suggesting a link to winter epidemics. The concurrent presence of GAD65 antibodies in cord blood and their mothers indicated autoimmune damage to islet cells during gestation, possibly caused by cross-placental transmission of viral infections and/or antivirus antibodies. In other words, during viral epidemics of winter months, ten percent of the healthy pregnant women who had no family background of autoimmune diseases tested positive for damaging antibodies.
Vaccination before conception
In addition, the cord blood antibody concentrations that exceeded those of the corresponding maternal sample, or antibody-positive cord blood samples with antibody-negative maternal samples, implied an in utero immune response by the fetus.
"If our hypothesis can be verified, then preventive vaccine before conception would be useful in stopping the increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases," said Prof. Laron. "There is no cure for this diabetes, so true intervention would be important not only medically but also psychologically and financially, as the costs of the lifelong treatment of this chronic disease and other autoimmune diseases are great."
Prof. Laron and his international collaborators are currently raising funds to expand their research to include nearly 1,000 women and newborns.
Diabetes Journey Award
Lilly Diabetes has a wonderful recognition program for people living with diabetes called the ' Lilly Diabetes Journey Award'. This award is (well was) given to people who reached the milestones of 25, 50 and 75 years or more of living with diabetes.
I said "well was" because just recently the award has been expanded to include a 10 year celebration.
from Lilly's Website:
“At Lilly Diabetes, we recognize that every person with type 1 diabetes is on a unique and challenging lifelong journey. But they’re not alone—Lilly Diabetes works hard to not only help patients overcome the daily challenges of managing diabetes, but also celebrate their milestones along the way.
That’s why the Lilly Diabetes Journey Awards program recognizes and honors individuals who have successfully managed their type 1 diabetes over a long period of time. By honoring people who have long been successful, these awards not only help them to keep moving ahead, but also help to inspire others to believe that they can do it, too.
The Lilly Diabetes Journey Awards program, formerly known as LillyforLife, recognizes diabetes patients in the United States who have successfully managed their disease with the help of insulin for 10, 25, 50, or 75 years or more. As of 2014, the 10-year award, which honors patients who have successfully managed type 1 diabetes for 10 years, is being introduced to the program. We know that a type 1 diabetes diagnosis is a life-changing event, whether it happens at age 5 or 25. And successfully managing it for the first 10 years can help establish success for a lifetime—which we look forward to celebrating again at 25-, 50-, and 75-year milestones along the way.
Since 1975, Lilly has presented thousands of medals to people with diabetes who have continued to use insulin, and with the addition of the 10-year award, we look forward to presenting even more.
Those selected for the Lilly Diabetes Journey Awards program serve as an inspiration to all people with diabetes for learning how to manage their disease and adapting to the ever-changing technology of diabetes care throughout their diabetes journey.”
I find it difficult to believe but Arden will have type I diabetes for ten years in 2016 and I am definitely going to apply for her ten year medal when that day arrives.
More about the award from Lilly
“Medals are presented to patients in the United States throughout the year. Each recipient receives an elegant award, beautifully engraved with their name.
The 75-year award winners are also invited to have their names engraved on a special monument on the Lilly Campus. This serves as a testament to a life with type 1 diabetes well-lived for recipients and how the heritage of Eli Lilly and Company continues to connect with people living with type 1 diabetes today.
Today, applying for or nominating a patient for this award is easier than ever. Healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients managing diabetes in the United States can complete and submit the Lilly Diabetes Journey Awards application by clicking the appropriate links below.”
Those links can be found here.
Washington Post: Artificial sweeteners could cause spikes in blood sugar
Is nothing "they" tell us ever true!?
From the Washington Post:
Artificial sweeteners might be triggering higher blood sugar levels in some people and contributing to the problems they were designed to combat, such as diabetes and obesity, according to new findings published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Although the precise reasons behind the blood sugar changes remain uncertain, researchers suspect that artificial sweeteners could be disrupting the microbiome, a vast and enigmatic ecosystem of bacteria in our guts.
In a series of experiments, researchers found that several of the most widely used types of non-calorie sweeteners in food and drinks — saccharin, sucralose and aspartame — caused mice to experience increased risk of glucose intolerance, a condition that can lead to diabetes.
Don't miss the rest of this info graphic. Click here
The only good news I saw...
The only good news I saw in this article is that the test were conducted on mice and if there is one thing people with diabetes know, the human body doesn't usually respond like that of a rodent.
That said, in the last year I've significantly cut back our use of artificial sweeteners, opting often for nothing or sugar.
Well, you better go read the rest of the article and then add this to the list of things we were told not long ago... that apparently isn't true. full story
Video: Sierra Sandison Miss America Montage
Sierra Sandison finished off her whirlwind ride on Sunday by winning the 2015 People's Choice Award at the Miss America Pageant (Way to pull together DOC!).
When Sierra appeared on our television screen Arden said, "That's me!". Those two little words are all you need to know about what Sierra's #ShowMeYourPump campaign has meant to everyone who lives with diabetes.
I hope you enjoy this short montage that I put together in celebration of Sierra's wonderful accomplishment.
Thank you Sierra and congratulations!
Diabetes and fear don't have to go together.
News: Two Apple medical trials shed light on how HealthKit will work
Apple is trying to get into the blood glucose testing market.
Highlights From the Rueters article:
Two prominent U.S. hospitals are preparing to launch trials with diabetics and chronic disease patients using Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) HealthKit, offering a glimpse of how the iPhone maker's ambitious take on healthcare will work in practice.
Longhurst said that in the first Stanford trial, young patients with Type 1 diabetes will be sent home with an iPod touch to monitor blood sugar levels between doctor's visits.
DexCom Inc (DXCM.O), which makes blood sugar monitoring equipment, is in talks with Apple, Stanford, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about integrating with HealthKit, said company Chief Technical Officer Jorge Valdes.
