Lower levels of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D among young adults at diagnosis of autoimmune type 1 diabetes compared with control subjects : results from the nationwide Diabetes Incidence Study in Sweden (DISS)

• Published in: Diabetologia Vol. 49; no. 12; pp. 2847 - 2852
• Main Authors: LITTORIN, B, BLOM, P, ÖSTMAN, J, SUNDKVIST, G, SCHÖLIN, A, ARNQVIST, H. J, BLOHME, G, BOLINDER, J, EKBOM-SCHNELL, A, ERIKSSON, J. W, GUDBJÖRNSDOTTIR, S, NYSTRÖM, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D; 25OHD; Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies; Autoimmunity; Biological and medical sciences; Chemokines; Clinical Medicine; Cohort Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - epidemiology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinology and Diabetes; Endocrinopathies; Endokrinologi och diabetes; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Follow-Up Studies; GADA; Hospitals; Humans; Hypotheses; IA-2A; ICA; Incidence; Internal medicine; Islet antibodies; Klinisk medicin; Medical and Health Sciences; Medical sciences; MEDICIN; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; MEDICINE; Metabolism; Phosphatase; Plasma; Proteins; Public health; Reference Values; Sweden - epidemiology; Type 1 diabetes; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin deficiency; Womens health; Young adults; Sweden; Europe; Endocrinopathy; Autoimmunity; Human; Immunopathology; Antibody; IA-2A; ICA; Langerhans islet; Islet antibodies; Autoimmune disease; Incidence; 25OHD; Vitamin D; Type 1 diabetes; GADA; Young adult; Diagnosis; Endocrine pancreas; 25-Hydroxyvitamin D
• ISSN: 0012-186X; 1432-0428; 1432-0428
• DOI: 10.1007/s00125-006-0426-x

Low plasma vitamin D concentrations may promote the development of type 1 diabetes. To test this hypothesis, we measured plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) in young adults with type 1 diabetes.
The nationwide Diabetes Incidence Study in Sweden (DISS) covers 15- to 34-year-old people with newly diagnosed diabetes. Blood samples at diagnosis were collected during the 2-year period 1987/1988. Patients with islet antibodies (islet cell antibodies, GAD antibodies or tyrosine phosphatase-like protein antibodies) were defined as having autoimmune type 1 diabetes. Plasma 25OHD was measured in samples taken from 459 patients at the time of diagnosis, and in 138 of these subjects 8 years later. The results were compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects (n=208).
At diagnosis, plasma 25OHD levels were significantly lower in patients with type 1 diabetes than in control subjects (82.5+/-1.3 vs 96.7+/-2.0 nmol/l; p<0.0001). Eight years later, plasma 25OHD had decreased in patients (81.5+/-2.6 nmol/l; p=0.04). Plasma 25OHD levels were significantly lower in diabetic men than in diabetic women at diagnosis (77.9+/-1.4 vs 90.1+/-2.4 nmol/l; p<0.0001) and at follow-up (77.1+/-2.8 nmol/l vs 87.2+/-4.5 nmol/l; p=0.048).
The plasma 25OHD level was lower at diagnosis of autoimmune type 1 diabetes than in control subjects, and may have a role in the development of type 1 diabetes. Plasma 25OHD levels were lower in men than in women with type 1 diabetes. This difference may be relevant to the high incidence of type 1 diabetes among young adult men.