Increased prevalence of β-cell dysfunction despite normal HbA1c in youth and young adults with Turner Syndrome
Intro: Adult women with Turner syndrome (TS) have a high prevalence of diabetes and β-cell dysfunction that increases morbidity and mortality, but, it is unknown if there is β-cell dysfunction present in youth with TS. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of β-cell dysfunction in youth with TS and the impact of traditional therapies on insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. Methods: Cross-sectional, observational study recruited 60 girls with TS and 60 healthy controls (HC) matched on pubertal status. Each subject had a history, physical exam and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Oral glucose and c-peptide minimal modeling was used to determine β-cell function. Results: Twenty-one TS girls (35%) met criteria for pre-diabetes. Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) was present in 18% of girls with TS and 2% HC (p-value = 0.0003). Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was present in 23% of TS girls and 0% HC (p-value < 0.001). The HbA1c was not different between TS and HC (median 5%, p= 0.42). Youth with TS had significant reductions in insulin sensitivity (SI), β-cell responsivity (Φ), and disposition index (DI) compared to HC. These differences remained significant when controlling for BMI z-score (p-values: 0.0006, 0.002, <0.0001 for SI, Φtotal, DI, respectively). Conclusions: β-cell dysfunction is present in youth with TS compared to controls. The presence of both reduced insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity suggest a unique TS-related glycemic phenotype. Based on the data from this study, we strongly suggest that providers employ serial OGTT to screen for glucose abnormalities in TS youth.