MMPAD Munich Meeting Report

MEETING REPORT 5 European Roadshow - Friday 25 th May, 2018 Munich, Germany PREDICTION AND PREVENTION OF TYPE 1 DIABETES IN CHILDREN Presented by Professor Reinhard Holl - University of Ulm Reinhard Holl, the meeting coordinator and consultant paediatric endocrinologist and diabetologist, emphasised that the incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing worldwide, and that predicting the development of type 1 diabetes in children is feasible on the basis of family medical history. If all family members have type 1 diabetes, or indeed if several autoantibodies are present, the likelihood that future generations may also have type 1 diabetes is high. This risk may vary according to the family member concerned. For example, the risk is considered higher if one's father has type 1 diabetes than if one's mother has type 1 diabetes (Figure 1) . Several factors were discussed as potential environmental influences for developing type 1 diabetes, such as the mother’s age, viral infections, vaccinations and nutrition. According to Holl, however, some of these theories lack reliability. He explained that the genes of the HLA system are the main risk factor. Figure 1 : Increased familial predisposition and genes which can predict development of type 1 diabetes (slide: Holl) . 1