title: Changes of vitamin D3 serum concentrations at the onset of immune-mediated type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Several hormones such as 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3), alpha-MSH, or ACTH have been found to interact extensively with the immune system. In view of the immune-mediated nature of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, 49 recently diagnosed diabetic patients were investigated in terms of serum 1,25-(OH)2D3-levels, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3(25-(OH)D3), alpha-MSH and ACTH, and compared with 42 healthy controls. A marked decrease of 1,25-(OH)2D3-levels was found at onset of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes compared to normal controls (39 +/- 2 vs 55 +/- 4 pg/ml, p less than 0.01). Grouping patients according to season (winter or summer) of diabetes onset and blood sampling, it was demonstrated that the decrease of 1,25-(OH)2D3 was primarily present during summer and due to a loss of the seasonal rhythm of this hormone observed in healthy controls (summer: patients vs controls 41 +/- 2 vs 63 +/- 4 pg/ml, p less than 0.001; winter: 37 +/- 3 vs 33 +/- 3 pg/ml, n.s.). Serum concentrations of 25-(OH)D3 were closely correlated with those of 1,25-(OH)2D3, both in controls (r = 0.55, p less than 0.002) and diabetic patients (r = 0.41, p less than 0.05), yielding a similar loss of seasonal variation also of this vitamin D3 metabolite in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. No difference was found in the mean and median values of alpha-MSH and ACTH between IDDM patients and controls, although patients exhibited much higher variation of alpha-MSH levels than did controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Institute, Heidelberg, FRG.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Baumgartl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Standl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Gayk
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kolb
authors.forename: H U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Janka
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ziegler
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000097:blood*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012016:Reference Values; D013997:Time Factors; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000521:alpha-MSH; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002117:Calcitriol