Maternal Enterovirus Infection and Type 1 Diabetes Risk in Offspring
Author Information
Author(s): Maria Elfving, Johan Svensson, Sami Oikarinen, Björn Jonsson, Per Olofsson, Göran Sundkvist, Bengt Lindberg, Åke Lernmark, Heikki Hyöty, Sten-Anders Ivarsson
Primary Institution: Lund University Hospital
Hypothesis
Does maternal enterovirus infection during pregnancy increase the risk of type 1 diabetes in offspring?
Conclusion
Maternal enterovirus infections may increase the risk of type 1 diabetes in boys, but not in girls.
Supporting Evidence
- 30% of mothers whose children developed type 1 diabetes were enterovirus IgM-positive.
- Boys of enterovirus IgM-positive mothers had a 5 times greater risk of developing diabetes.
- None of the mothers in the control group were positive for enterovirus RNA.
Takeaway
If a mother gets a certain virus while pregnant, her baby boy might be more likely to get diabetes when he grows up.
Methodology
Serum samples from 30 mothers of children with type 1 diabetes were analyzed for enterovirus antibodies and compared to 90 control mothers.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small sample size and the retrospective nature of the study.
Limitations
The study cohort was limited, and the results may not be generalizable.
Participant Demographics
30 mothers of children who developed type 1 diabetes (14 males, 16 females) and 90 control mothers.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.025
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.22–17.6
Statistical Significance
p<0.025
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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