Prevalence and clinical features of fulminant type 1 diabetes

Abstract

Objective To investigate the prevalence and clinical features of fulminant type 1 diabetes.Methods Using data retrieved from Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University,all patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes from Jan.1,2001 to Dec.31,2007 were identified.The patients were divided into fulminant type 1 diabetes (F1D) group,typical type 1 diabetes (T1A) group,and idiopathic type 1 diabetes(T1B) group.Their clinical features were compared.Results Eight patients (9.1%) fulfilled the criteria for fulminant type 1 diabetes among 87 newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes,and the percentage of fulminant type 1 diabetes reached 14.0% among type 1 diabetic patients with age of onset of 18 years or older.Patients of F1D group had a markedly higher plasma glucose concentration compared with patients of T1A group and T1B group(P=0.004).Serum amylase was higher in F1D group than that in T1A group(P = 0.021).Four (50%) patients were GADA positive,among whom 1 patient was Coxsackie B virus (CVB) IgM positive and 1 patient was Herpes Simplex virus 1 (HSV1) IgM positive.Conclusions Fulminant type 1 diabetes accounts for about 10% of the type 1 diabetes in the Chinese individuals with ketosis-or ketoacidosis-onset.Patients with this subset of diabetes had severe metabolic derangement.Viral infection and autoimmunity may be involved in the pathogenesis of fulminant type 1 diabetes. Key words: Diabetes mellitus,type 1; Fulminant diabetes mellitus; Ketoacidosis; Autoantibody; Viral infection