Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Clinical Characteristics in Swedish Children With and Without Autoantibodies at the Time of Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis

Hedlund, Emma LU ; Maziarz, Marlena LU orcid ; Lindahl, Tomas ; Elding-Larsen, Helena LU orcid ; Forsander, Gun ; Persson, Martina ; Pundziute-Lyckå, Auste ; Åkesson, Karin ; Ludvigsson, Johnny and Carlsson, Annelie LU orcid (2025) In Diabetes Care 48.
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Autoantibodies have long been recognized as biomarkers of islet autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes, but their role in the pathogenesis is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical and hereditary characteristics of children presenting with and without autoantibodies at type 1 diabetes diagnosis.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected from children (<18 years) at the time of diabetes diagnosis as part of Sweden's national Better Diabetes Diagnosis study. Participants were categorized based on the presence or absence of autoantibodies. Variables compared were age at diagnosis, sex, HbA1c, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), parental heredity of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, level of C-peptide,... (More)

OBJECTIVE: Autoantibodies have long been recognized as biomarkers of islet autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes, but their role in the pathogenesis is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical and hereditary characteristics of children presenting with and without autoantibodies at type 1 diabetes diagnosis.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected from children (<18 years) at the time of diabetes diagnosis as part of Sweden's national Better Diabetes Diagnosis study. Participants were categorized based on the presence or absence of autoantibodies. Variables compared were age at diagnosis, sex, HbA1c, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), parental heredity of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, level of C-peptide, BMI SD score (SDS), and HLA genotype. We used t tests, χ2 tests, and logistic regression for comparisons.

RESULTS: Of the 2,753, children, 169 (6.1%) were autoantibody-negative at type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Of those, 66% were boys compared with 56% of children with autoantibodies (P = 0.009). Also, children without autoantibodies had higher HbA1c at diagnosis (11.3 vs. 10.8% [100 vs. 94 mmol/mol], P = 0.003), were less likely to present with DKA (9 vs. 15%, P = 0.039), and more likely to have parental history of type 2 diabetes (8 vs. 2%, P < 0.001) compared with children with autoantibodies. We did not observe differences for age at diagnosis, C-peptide levels, BMI-SDS, or HLA genotype between the children with and without autoantibodies.

CONCLUSIONS: We identified differences in clinical characteristics when comparing children with and without autoantibodies at type 1 diabetes diagnosis, highlighting potential heterogeneity in the disease's pathogenesis across subgroups.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Diabetes Care
volume
48
publisher
American Diabetes Association
external identifiers
  • pmid:41091947
ISSN
1935-5548
DOI
10.2337/dc25-0840
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2025 by the American Diabetes Association.
id
518a188e-8f92-4e00-97fb-dbc5ab809a92
date added to LUP
2025-10-21 14:18:49
date last changed
2025-10-22 03:19:13
@article{518a188e-8f92-4e00-97fb-dbc5ab809a92,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVE: Autoantibodies have long been recognized as biomarkers of islet autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes, but their role in the pathogenesis is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical and hereditary characteristics of children presenting with and without autoantibodies at type 1 diabetes diagnosis.</p><p>RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected from children (&lt;18 years) at the time of diabetes diagnosis as part of Sweden's national Better Diabetes Diagnosis study. Participants were categorized based on the presence or absence of autoantibodies. Variables compared were age at diagnosis, sex, HbA1c, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), parental heredity of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, level of C-peptide, BMI SD score (SDS), and HLA genotype. We used t tests, χ2 tests, and logistic regression for comparisons.</p><p>RESULTS: Of the 2,753, children, 169 (6.1%) were autoantibody-negative at type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Of those, 66% were boys compared with 56% of children with autoantibodies (P = 0.009). Also, children without autoantibodies had higher HbA1c at diagnosis (11.3 vs. 10.8% [100 vs. 94 mmol/mol], P = 0.003), were less likely to present with DKA (9 vs. 15%, P = 0.039), and more likely to have parental history of type 2 diabetes (8 vs. 2%, P &lt; 0.001) compared with children with autoantibodies. We did not observe differences for age at diagnosis, C-peptide levels, BMI-SDS, or HLA genotype between the children with and without autoantibodies.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: We identified differences in clinical characteristics when comparing children with and without autoantibodies at type 1 diabetes diagnosis, highlighting potential heterogeneity in the disease's pathogenesis across subgroups.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hedlund, Emma and Maziarz, Marlena and Lindahl, Tomas and Elding-Larsen, Helena and Forsander, Gun and Persson, Martina and Pundziute-Lyckå, Auste and Åkesson, Karin and Ludvigsson, Johnny and Carlsson, Annelie}},
  issn         = {{1935-5548}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  publisher    = {{American Diabetes Association}},
  series       = {{Diabetes Care}},
  title        = {{Clinical Characteristics in Swedish Children With and Without Autoantibodies at the Time of Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc25-0840}},
  doi          = {{10.2337/dc25-0840}},
  volume       = {{48}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}