Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Flashcards
What is type 1 diabetes?
- no or low levels of insulin being secreted by beta cells in the pancreas
- normally secondary due to chronic inflammation
Where does the name diabetes come from?
- latin for ‘pass through’ and ‘sweet’
How many people in the UK have T1DM, of which how many are children?
- 400,000
- 29,000 are children
What is the annual incidence (new cases every year) of T1DM in the UK?
- 4%
Do all patients with T1DM have a family history of T1DM?
- no
- majority (85%) have no family history
What age does the peak incidence of T1DM occur?
- in childhood
- 6 months to age 5
The peak incidence of T1DM occurs in childhood, between 6 months and 5 years of age. Are all patients diagnosed at this age?
- no
- 50% are diagnosed >18 years of age
In younger and older ages, are men or women more likely to be diagnosed with T1DM?
- men in younger ages
- women in older ages
Although most patients with T1DM (85%) do not have a family history of T1DM, there is a small genetic predisposition. What is the genetic predisposition in monozygotic twins?
- 36%
T1DM is a polygenic disorder. What does polygenic mean?
- poly = many
- genic = genetics/genes
- so lots of genes cause the phenotype
T1DM is a polygenic disorder, meaning there are a lot of genes that can cause the clinical phenotype. There are >40 loci (specific locations on chromosomes) linked with T1DM, but the majority occur where?
- in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system
- this is essentially the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) present on immune cells
- MHC-1 = CD8 and MHC-II - CD4 cells
- increased risk linked with HLA DR3-DQ2 and DR4-DQ8
- decreased risk linked with HLA-DMA and DQB1
What is the term given to the group of cells in the pancreas that secrete glucagon and insulin?
- islets of langerhans
The islets of langerhans is the term given to the group of cells in the pancreas that secrete glucagon and insulin. Which cells specifically secrete glucagon and insulin?
- glucagon = alpha cells
- insulin = beta cells
In addition to secreting glucagon and insulin, the pancreas also posses Delta cells. What 2 molecules do these delta cells secrete?
- somatostatin (inhibits insulin and glucagon secretion)
- collagen
In the pancreas which cells are responsible for secreting GIT juices?
- acinar cells through ducts
Once beta cells have atrophied, is there any potential for regeneration of these beta cells?
- no
T1DM is an auto immune disease. What type of hypersensitivity is T1DM?
- type IV hypersensitivity
- T cell mediated (CD4 and CD8)
- also called delayed type hypersensitivity
T1DM is an auto immune disease, caused by a type IV hypersensitivity. What are the most common antibodies that patients have?
- glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)
- zinc Transporter 8 (ZnT8)
- islet antigen 2 (IA2)
What are the 4 stages that make up the natural history of T1DM?
1 - genetic preposition for developing T1DM
2 - insulitis (inflammation of islets of langerhans) triggered by environmental trigger
3 - pre-diabetes
4 - diabetes
- during the process beta cell mass declines
What are the 4 most common autoimmune diseases that are associated with T1DM (that we have studied or are currently studying)?
- hashimoto’s thyroiditis (hypothyroidism)
- coeliac disease (triggered by gluten)
- graves disease (hyperthyroidism)
- addison’s disease (adrenal insufficiency, lack of cortisol secretion)
What are the main symptoms of T1DM?
- thirst
- polyuria
- lethargy
- unintentional weight loss
- recurrent candidiasis (yeast infection)
- visual changes
- ketone breath (smells sweet like pear drops due to acetone)
- diabetic ketoacidosis (build up of ketones in the body that can be dangerous)
- coma and death
Why is age important when diagnosing T1DM?
- T1DM generally present at a young age
Why is speed of symptom onset important when diagnosing T1DM?
- T1DM will develop rapidly (rapid weight loss for example)
- T2DM will develop gradually over time
Why is patients phenotype important when diagnosing T1DM?
- T1DM = young, thin and weight loss
- T2DM = overweight and generally older
In addition to age, speed of symptom onset and patients phenotype, what over aspects are important when trying to diagnose a patient with T1DM?
- associated pathology
- family history
- ketosis/DKA
- antibody positivity
- C-Peptide measurement