title: The genetic contribution to disease pathogenesis in childhood diabetes is greatest in the very young.
abstract: Epidemiological data are presented to support the hypothesis that the genetic contribution to disease pathogenesis in childhood onset diabetes is greatest in those presenting at a very early age. Analysis of family data from two national surveys of childhood onset Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes (1988 in under 15s: 1992 in under 5s) reveals that children developing diabetes between the ages 1 and 2 years are significantly more likely to have a parental history of Type 1 diabetes than older children. It is proposed that compared with other children, those with very early onset diabetes have either a greater genetic and smaller environmental contribution to the initiation of the autoimmune process leading to Type 1 diabetes: or inherited HLA alleles associated with a more fulminant autoimmune mediated Beta-cell destruction once the process is initiated.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child Health, St Michael's Hill, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Shield
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Wadsworth
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Baum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male