ESPE Abstracts

Background: T1D concordance in MZ twins being ~40%, non-heritable factors play a major causal role in this autoimmune disease. T1D has recently increased in young European children. Collecting prospective environmental data in a cohort of millions children-years starting soon after birth seems unpracticable. Retrospective case-control studies are an alternative, provided biased controls and recall bias can both be avoided.Objectives: To develop a ‘v...

Background: The rapidly increasing T1D incidence in European children suggests the recent emergence or extension of predisposing E factors, or the decrease of protective E factors acting during pregnancy, infancy or early childhood. E research has preferentially focused on specific candidate factors, such as hygiene hypothesis, enteroviruses, alimentation, in cohort or case-control studies. The risk of bias is a major concern in E studies.Objectives: To ...