Insights from TEDDY study provide clues to islet autoimmunity in children

ORLANDO, Fla. — Data from the ongoing TEDDY study show that there are two diabetes-related endotypes defined by insulin autoantibodies or glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies as the first appearing autoantibody in children, and ongoing research suggests several maternal, childhood and familial factors play a role in islet autoimmunity risk.

TEDDY, which was designed to identify environmental factors and gene-environment interactions causing islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes, is beginning to reveal some of the first clues to the immunogenesis and natural history of type 1 diabetes in a cohort of young children from four countries, Jeffrey Krischer, PhD, distinguished university health professor and director of the Health Informatics Institute at Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, said during an opening presentation on findings from the TEDDY study at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions.