Type A competitiveness traits correlate with downregulation of c-Fos expression in patients with type 1 diabetes

Type A personality has been associated with increased survival in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Systemic low-grade inflammation may play a critical role, as suggested in recent reports, although the links between the inflammatory circulating transcriptome and Type A remain unknown. This prompted our exploration of the potential associations between Type A personality and c-Fos gene expression, a candidate gene closely linked to inflammatory processes, in T1D.

Type A personality was assessed by Bortner questionnaire in patients with T1D, and two subscales - 'speed' and 'competitiveness' - were used to measure these specific dimensions of Type A. Expression of the c-Fos gene was assessed by a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction technique.

This pilot study included 20 men with T1D. Multivariable analyses showed an independent inverse association between Type A competitiveness score and c-Fos expression, while a regression model adjusted for age, body mass index and HbA_1c levels revealed a significant inverse relationship between c-Fos transcripts and Type A competitiveness (P = 0.003).

This strong association between Type A competitiveness and reduced c-Fos expression is in line with recent data suggesting a psychobiological influence of the Type A profile in T1D via inflammatory pathways.