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Maternal enterovirus infection as a risk factor for type 1 diabetes in the exposed offspring

Hanna Viskari1, Mikael Knip, Sisko Tauriainen

  • 1Department of Virology, University of Tampere, School of Medicine, Tampere, Finland. hanna.viskari@uta.fi

Diabetes Care
|March 21, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Maternal enterovirus infections during pregnancy show a slight association with childhood type 1 diabetes risk. However, the study suggests enteroviruses are not a major risk factor for type 1 diabetes in most children.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Pediatric Endocrinology

Background:

  • Maternal enterovirus infections during pregnancy are suspected to increase offspring's risk of type 1 diabetes.
  • Previous research indicates a potential link, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal enterovirus infections during pregnancy and the development of type 1 diabetes in offspring.
  • To evaluate this link in a cohort of mothers whose children developed clinical type 1 diabetes.

Main Methods:

  • Case-control study involving 171 offspring with type 1 diabetes and 316 matched controls.
  • Maternal and cord blood samples analyzed for acute enterovirus infections using IgG and IgM antibody levels.
  • Matching criteria included birth date, place, sex, and HLA-DQ risk alleles.

Main Results:

  • Maternal enterovirus infection signs were found in 19.3% of mothers of affected children versus 12.0% in control mothers (P=0.038).
  • The association was consistent across different HLA risk groups and sexes.
  • The findings were independent of the child's age at diagnosis or mother's age at delivery.

Conclusions:

  • Enterovirus infection during pregnancy is not a primary risk factor for childhood type 1 diabetes.
  • A potential role for enteroviruses in type 1 diabetes development may exist in susceptible individuals.
Abstract

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