title: Clinical, immunologic and insulin secretory characteristics of young black South African patients with diabetes: Hospital based single centre study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To classify and characterize the clinical features of various diabetes classes among young black South Africans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study of 60 black patients with diabetes, all less than 30 years of age and attending Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Mthatha, South Africa. Diabetes was classified as Types 1A, 1B and 2 based on the anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase status and serum C-peptide response to intravenous injection of glucagon.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 19.6±4.8 years (n=60) with similar gender distribution. The mean duration of diabetes was 24.2±45.1 months. Type 1A was the class of diabetes in 55% (n=33/60) of patients. Type 1B and 2 accounted for 30% (n=18/60) and 15% (n=9/60) of patients respectively. Patients classified as Type 2 had higher waist circumference and higher prevalence of acanthosis nigricans than Types 1A and 1B groups. History of diabetes in a first degree relative and hypertension were found in similar proportions of patients with Types 1A, 1B and 2 diabetes. Five Type 1A diabetes patients had body mass index of 26.2-41kg/m(2) and this included two newly diagnosed patients with body mass index of 26.7kg/m(2) and 33.2kg/m(2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of our young black South Africans with diabetes are of the Type 1A class. Acanthosis nigricans was not found in any patient with Type 1 A diabetes. A minority of Type 1 A diabetes patients were obese at initial diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. chuksekpebegh@yahoo.com
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Ekpebegh
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Longo-Mbenza
mesh_terms: D000052:Acanthosis Nigricans / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase