Enterovirus infection is associated with an increased risk of childhood type 1 diabetes in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Abstract

This study compared the incidence rate of type 1 diabetes in children diagnosed with enterovirus (EV) infections with that in age- and sex-matched children without EV infection in a population-based cohort. In addition, we examined whether the direction or magnitude of the association between EV infection and type 1 diabetes differs according to atopic disease status in children. We used insurance claims data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to derive type 1 diabetes incidence in children aged up to 18 years with or without a diagnosis of EV infection during 2000-2008. Incidence rate ratios and HRs of type 1 diabetes for EV infection were estimated by Poisson regression and Cox's proportional hazard regression model. Overall incidence of type 1 diabetes was higher in the EV than in the non-EV infection cohort (5.73 vs 3.89 per 100,000 person-years; incidence rate ratio 1.48 [95% CI 1.19, 1.83]), with an adjusted HR of 1.48 (95% CI 1.19, 1.83). Among children without EV, incidence increased with age at diagnosis of EV infection, except in those aged 5-10 years. The HRs of type 1 diabetes in children with allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma or either one of these atopic diseases showed more variation than in those children without these diseases. This nationwide retrospective cohort study found a positive correlation between type 1 diabetes and EV infection. The results suggest that a preventive strategy, such as an effective vaccine against EV infection, may lessen the incidence of type 1 diabetes in Taiwan.