Trends in incidence and prevalence of type 1 diabetes between 1999 and 2019 based on the Childhood Diabetes Registry of Saxony, Germany

Objective The Childhood Diabetes Registry of Saxony has been existing since 1999. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence rates, cohort and point prevalence, and the trends of type 1 diabetes among children and adolescents based on the registry data over the past 21 years. Methods A completeness check of the Childhood Diabetes Registry of Saxony for the observation period 2012–2019 was performed using the capture-recapture method. The age-standardized incidence rates per 100,000 person years (PY) were estimated for the observation period 1999–2019. Prevalence was estimated per 100,000 children and adolescents as the point prevalence of five consecutive years, and as a cohort prevalence for the birth cohorts, which result from the difference of age and year at diagnosis. Trend analyses were executed using join point regression. Results A completeness of 98% (95% CI 89–100) was determined for the period from 2012 to 2019. The standardized incidence rate of type 1 diabetes among children and adolescents increased from 17.1 per 100,000 PY in 1999 to 24.7 per 100,000 PY in 2019. If this trend continues, the incidence rate will increase to 34.8 (95% CI 24.4–49.6) per 100,000 PY in 2030. The point prevalence of 5 consecutive years did not show a continuous trend over time. According to this method, the prevalence reached a plateau in the last segment (2013–2019). The calculation of cohort prevalence indicated a continuous increase from 2013 to 2019 with no significant statistical difference in terms of sex. Conclusion The point prevalence and the last incidence rates indicate that type 1 diabetes of children and adolescents is slowing down or has reached a plateau in Saxony. Nevertheless, the cohort prevalence predicts a steady increase. Future studies should continue investigating these trends in a longer observation period and consider including possible correlating environmental factors.

What Was Known About Childhood Diabetes Mellitus Before the Discovery of Insulin?

It has been widely reported by historians that physicians were aware of two distinct types of diabetes mellitus by the 1880s, and that these were both similar to and the direct forerunners of type 1, juvenile-onset and type 2, adult-onset diabetes. The writings of prominent specialist physicians practicing just prior to the discovery of insulin in 1921–1922 were reviewed and there is little evidence that experts believed that adult and childhood diabetes were different. In fact, more than a decade passed after the discovery of insulin before diabetes in children and adults even began to be distinguished. Childhood diabetes was exceedingly rare in the early 20th century and diabetes was believed to be primarily a chronic disease of adults. It is interesting to speculate about what might have happened if the first pancreatic extract tests had been performed on adult-onset diabetics with insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus. Clearly, the results would have been disappointing and the discovery of insulin delayed. This essay explores how the test subject decision was made. It is fortuitous that a 14 year old boy with what was unequivocally type 1 diabetes was selected to be the first insulin recipient, and the rest is history.

Diabetic ketoacidosis in paediatrics: tools to assist in recognition of a sick child

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a complication of diabetes, is a medical emergency in children and is one of the main causes of childhood mortality. It is the first presentation of diabetes in 30–40% children with the condition, and is more common in younger children. However, it is commonly misdiagnosed as the signs and symptoms in children vary. Treatment should be given as soon as possible, and this is usually only possible in a hospital setting. Therefore, early recognition and transportation to hospital by paramedics ensures the best possible outcome. Children are far more likely to have type 1 than type 2 diabetes, and several factors are associated with childhood diabetes, including genetics, medication, viral infections and environmental issues. Several tools and guidelines can be used to assess children prehospitally. These should be used in conjunction with the clinician's knowledge and standard observations. Paramedics should take an appropriate history, as this could prove invaluable for hospital specialists.

New Heterometallic Compound as Luminescent Sensor for Detection of CS2 and Treatment Effect on Childhood Diabetes

The hydrothermal reaction of Cd(NO3)2·4H2O, KNO3 with the dicarboxylate ligand of 2-aminoterephthalic acid (H2L) yields a new heterometallic coordination polymer with the formula of [CdK2(L)2(H2O)4]n (1). Compound 1 emits intense luminescence at ambient temperature and shows high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of CS2. Serial biological experiments were conducted to evaluate the activity of the new compound on children diabetes. First of all, after the compound treatment, the blood glucose meter was used to measure the levels of body's blood sugar. In addition to this, the relative expression levels of the insulin receptor on the liver cells were determined with real time RT-PCR.