Children have a 50% lower risk of type 1 diabetes based on these parental traits

New research, to be presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Madrid, reveals that children are nearly twice as likely to develop type 1 diabetes (T1D) if their father has the condition rather than their mother. The study suggests that exposure to T1D in the womb provides long-term protection against the condition when inherited from the mother.

Dr. Lowri Allen from the Diabetes Research Group at Cardiff University explains that individuals with a family history of T1D are 8-15 times more likely to develop the autoimmune condition. However, the risk is notably higher if the father, rather than the mother, has T1D.

Previous studies have indicated maternal T1D might offer some protection against the condition in early life, but Dr. Allen’s team wanted to explore if this protection extends beyond childhood and what might be responsible for this effect.

To investigate, Dr. Allen and Professor Richard Oram from the University of Exeter Medical School, along with colleagues from the UK, Sweden, and the US, conducted a meta-analysis of data from five major studies: BOX, Better Diabetes Diagnosis, TrialNet Pathway to Prevention Study, Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Consortium, and StartRight.

The analysis included data from 11,475 individuals diagnosed with T1D between ages 0 and 88. The findings show that these individuals were almost twice as likely (1.8 times more likely) to have a father with T1D compared to a mother with the condition. This trend held for those diagnosed in childhood (≤18 years) and adulthood (>18 years).

Dr. Allen notes, “Our findings suggest that the relative protection associated with having a mother versus a father with T1D is a long-term effect that extends into adult life.”

The research team also used a genetic risk score, encompassing over 60 genes linked to T1D, to compare the genetic risk in individuals with affected mothers and fathers. The scores were similar, indicating that the relative protection wasn’t due to inherited genes. The timing of the parent’s diagnosis was crucial; the protective effect was observed only if the mother had T1D during pregnancy. This suggests that in-womb exposure to T1D is critical.

Dr. Allen says, “The inherited genetic risk of T1D was not different in individuals with affected mothers and fathers, which suggests that exposure to T1D in the womb is crucial. Further research is needed to pinpoint what aspect of this exposure is most important – whether it’s high blood glucose levels, insulin treatment, antibodies, or another factor.”

Professor Oram emphasizes that this study, the largest of its kind, has deepened the understanding of parental risk and maternal protection against T1D. This insight could pave the way for new therapeutic avenues. Understanding why maternal T1D offers relative protection might lead to treatments that mimic these protective effects.

Dr. Allen adds, “We hope that understanding these protective mechanisms could lead to developing preventive treatments administered at the earliest stages of life. Although only one drug has been licensed to delay the onset of T1D, and several studies are in progress to find more, progress in identifying preventive treatments before the disease develops has been limited.”

The findings from this extensive study underscore the importance of further research to uncover the precise factors involved in the protective effect conferred by maternal T1D. The ultimate goal is to leverage these insights to prevent the onset of T1D, particularly in individuals with a high genetic risk of the disease.

By mimicking the protective elements associated with maternal T1D, new preventive strategies could be developed, offering hope for more effective interventions in the future.

Note: Materials provided above by The Brighter Side of News. Content may be edited for style and length.

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