title: Atopy in children and adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is dominated by a Th1 response whereas atopic diseases such as asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis are characterized by a Th2 response. Because it is known that Th1 and Th2 cells reciprocally counteract each other, it can be speculated that the prevalence of Th2-mediated diseases is lower in patients with a Th1-mediated disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the prevalence of atopic diseases among children with IDDM and age-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised 65 children with IDDM attending the pediatric endocrinology clinic at the Wolfson Medical Center. The control group consisted of 74 non-diabetic children who presented at the emergency room due to an acute illness (burns, abdominal pain, fever, head trauma). Patients were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire on their history of personal and familial atopic and autoimmune diseases. In addition, a total serum immunoglobulin E concentration and the presence of IgE antibodies to a panel of relevant inhalant allergens were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children with IDDM and their first-degree relatives had a significantly higher prevalence of other autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis and celiac as compared to controls. The two groups had a similar prevalence of atopic diseases with respect to history, total serum IgE, or the presence of IgE antibodies to a panel of relevant inhalant allergens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of atopic diseases in IDDM patients was similar to that in the normal population. Our results suggest that the traditional Th1/Th2 theory to explain the complexity of the immune response is oversimplified.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Emergency Medicine Unit, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel.
authors.forename: Vered
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gazit
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tasher
authors.forename: Aharon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hanukoglu
authors.forename: Zohar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Landau
authors.forename: Yoram
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben-Yehuda
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Somekh
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dalal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E