Frequency of atopy and allergic disorders among adults with Type 1 diabetes mellitus in the southern Marmara region of Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
Autoimmune disorders are considered to be associated with a Th1 immune response whereas allergic diseases with a Th2 response. Studies mainly performed on children revealed conflicting results regarding the association of atopy/allergic disease and autoimmune disorders. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of allergic diseases in adult Type 1 diabetic patients.


METHODS
Eighty-nine Type 1 diabetic patients and 64 controls were enrolled into the study. Skin-prick test and European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire were performed on all cases. Patients who gave at least one positive answer to questions about asthma in the questionnaire underwent pulmonary function test and methacholine challenge test.


RESULTS
Patients' mean age were similar in diabetic patients and controls (28.2+/-8.9 and 28.1+/-5.2 yr; respectively). In skin-prick test, the rate of positive response to at least one allergen was not significantly different in diabetes (29.2%) and in the control group (31.3%). In European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire, diabetic patients waked up by an attack of cough more than controls did. The rate of physician-diagnosed asthma was similar in both groups. There was no difference between the 2 groups based on the answers of other questions about asthma and other allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, eczema, and drug allergy.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that atopy frequencies were similar in an adult population of Type 1 diabetic patients and controls. Although asthmatic symptom prevalence is increased in diabetic patients, the incidence of current asthma was similar in both groups.
Duran
C
C
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Konya Education and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey. drcduran@gmail.com
Ediger
D
D
Ersoy
C
C
Coskun
N F
NF
Selimoglu
H
H
Ercan
I
I
Kiyici
S
S
Guclu
M
M
Saglam
D A
DA
Erturk
E
E
Tuncel
E
E
Imamoglu
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012882:Skin Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D016210:Methacholine Chloride