Coxsackievirus B Infections Are Associated With the Risk of Islet Autoimmunity in Children With Strong Genetic...

Especially, the coxsackievirus B group of enteroviruses has been linked to the development of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible individuals. Our aim was to study the possible associations of 10 different microbial infections with islet autoimmunity in a large international prospective study.

In a nested case-control study within the TRIGR study, follow-up serum samples from 240 islet autoantibody-positive case children and 436 age- and country-matched control children were analysed for IgG class antibodies against 10 different respiratory and gastrointestinal microbes using an enzyme immunoassay, and for neutralising antibodies against all six coxsackievirus B types. The samples were obtained at several time points prior to and at the time of seroconversion for multiple islet autoantibodies. All children had a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes, and they carried risk-associated HLA-DQ alleles.

Coxsackievirus B5 was associated with an increased risk of islet autoimmunity (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.29-3.80, p = 0.004, corrected p = 0.024), which remained after adjustment for HLA, sex, and maternal type 1 diabetes. This association was particularly seen for infections occurring more than 12 months (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.06-3.84, p = 0.032) and 0-6 months (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.11-6.35, p = 0.028) before the first detection of multiple islet autoantibodies. After correction for multiple comparisons, none of the other viruses showed an association with islet autoimmunity.

This study supports previous evidence of the risk association of coxsackievirus B infections. These results support the role of certain virus infections as possible modulating factors in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes.