Height growth velocity, islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes development: the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young.
OBJECTIVE
Larger childhood body size and rapid growth have been associated with increased type 1 diabetes risk. We analysed height, weight, BMI and velocities of growth in height, weight and BMI, for association with development of islet autoimmunity (IA) and type 1 diabetes.


METHODS
Since 1993, the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY) has followed children at increased type 1 diabetes risk, based on HLA-DR, -DQ genotype or family history, for the development of IA and type 1 diabetes. IA was defined as the presence of autoantibodies to insulin, GAD or protein tyrosine phosphatase islet antigen 2 twice in succession, or autoantibody-positive on one visit and diabetic at the next consecutive visit within 1 year. Type 1 diabetes was diagnosed by a physician. Height and weight were collected starting at age 2 years. Of 1,714 DAISY children <11.5 years of age, 143 developed IA and 21 progressed to type 1 diabetes. We conducted Cox proportional hazards analysis to explore growth velocities and size measures for association with IA and type 1 diabetes development.


RESULTS
Greater height growth velocity was associated with IA development (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.31-2.05) and type 1 diabetes development (HR 3.34, 95% CI 1.73-6.42) for a 1 SD difference in velocity.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that greater height growth velocity may be involved in the progression from genetic susceptibility to autoimmunity and then to type 1 diabetes in pre-pubertal children.
Lamb
M M
MM
University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, 80045, USA.
Yin
X
X
Zerbe
G O
GO
Klingensmith
G J
GJ
Dabelea
D
D
Fingerlin
T E
TE
Rewers
M
M
Norris
J M
JM
D000367:Age Factors; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D001827:Body Height / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000276:immunology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012737:Sex Factors
D001323:Autoantibodies; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007328:Insulin