title: Reclassification of asymptomatic beta cell autoimmunity: a critical perspective.
abstract: Type 1 diabetes is an immune-mediated disease leading to almost total beta cell destruction and permanent exogenous insulin dependency. The appearance of clinical symptoms is preceded by an asymptomatic preclinical period, the duration of which is highly individual. The emergence of diabetes-associated autoantibodies into the peripheral circulation is the first detectable sign of beta cell autoimmunity. If type 1 diabetes is diagnosed in childhood the preclinical period lasts for an average of 2.5-3 years, but clinical symptoms may in some cases appear within a few months or be delayed for more than 20 years. In this issue of Diabetologia, Bonifacio and colleagues (doi: 10.1007/s00125-016-4144-8 ) suggest that asymptomatic beta cell autoimmunity should be considered as a pathological and diagnostic entity. Although such a strategy may have some positive consequences, it might also have serious drawbacks. To label an asymptomatic child that may have 10-20 years of a healthy life ahead of him/her as a patient will most likely affect both the life of the family and the child. Therefore, we think that one should not adapt the new diagnosis before the psychological consequences of such a strategy have been assessed. Instead, since metabolic abnormalities precede the appearance of clinical symptoms of type 1 diabetes, analysis of a combination of immunological and metabolic markers will provide better insight into the likelihood of progression to clinical disease, with a shorter 'sickness' period.
authors: Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 22 (Stenbäckinkatu 11), 00014, Helsinki, Finland. mikael.knip@helsinki.fi.|Research Programs Unit, Diabetes and Obesity, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. mikael.knip@helsinki.fi.|Tampere Center for Child Health Research, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. mikael.knip@helsinki.fi.|Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland. mikael.knip@helsinki.fi.
authors: Mikael
authors: M
authors: Knip
authors: Tampere Center for Child Health Research, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors: Jenni
authors: J
authors: Selvenius
authors: Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 22 (Stenbäckinkatu 11), 00014, Helsinki, Finland.|Research Programs Unit, Diabetes and Obesity, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Heli
authors: H
authors: Siljander
authors: Department of Pediatrics, PEDEGO Research Unit (Research Unit for Pediatrics, Dermatology, Clinical Genetics, Obstetrics and Gynecology), Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors: Riitta
authors: R
authors: Veijola
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies
keywords: Clinical science; Human; Prediction and prevention