[Childhood-onset diabetes treated with sulphonylureas]

MODY 3 type diabetes belongs to the group of monogenic diabetes and is caused by mutations in the gene for hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-alpha (HNF1-alpha). Although MODY 2 type diabetes is the most frequent form of MODY diabetes in childhood, type 3 is the most frequent in the general population. We report the case of a 12 year old child with basal and post-prandrial hyperglycaemia. No cardinal symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus were present. There are numerous cases of diabetes in his family. C-Peptide was 1.13 ng/ml and pancreatic autoimmunity markers were negative. HNF-1alpha gene mutation was found in the patient as well as in his father and sister. Treatment with glibenclamide was started at a dose of 2.5 mg/day in order to reduce the risk of microvascular disease, as this as high in MODY 3 type diabetes as in type 1 diabetes mellitus. Blood glucose returned to normal and glycosylated haemoglobin was maintained between 4.9 and 5.6 %. Side-effects were not observed except some mild hypoglycaemias.