ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Type I diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that might be associated with a family history of T1D (1). In Kuwait, pediatric diabetes is a growing healthcare concern with limited knowledge about familial T1D. We aim ed to identify the prevalence, clinical, and biochemical characteristics of familial T1D in Kuwait.

Methods: All children (aged ≤12 years old) diagnosed with T1D between 2011-2022 and were registered in the Childhood-Onset Diabetes electronic Registry (CODeR) in Kuwait were included. A retrospective data collection was obtained by reviewing medical and registry charts. Familial T1D is defined as having a first-degree relative with T1D including a father and/or mother and/or sibling.

Results: A total of 3790 were diagnosed with T1D during the study period. Almost half of the study population were males (47.3%) while most of them were Kuwaiti (69.2%). 11.2% had familial T1D which was most likely in Kuwaiti patients (78.7%, P = 0.00) with a median age of 7.8 years (IQR 5.1-9.9). At diagnosis, a quarter of familial patients (24.2%) were presented with diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), and only 6.4% of those were severe. Children diagnosed with familial T1D presented with better HbA1c results than those diagnosed with non-familial T1D (10.6±2.4 vs.11.4±2.2, p-value= 0.00). From 2011-2022, a significant increase in the prevalence of familial T1D was found over the years (P = 0.00). For biochemical characteristics, celiac autoantibodies (tissue transglutaminase IgA and Endomysial antibodies (EMA)) were detected more frequently in patients with positive family history of T1D (P = 0.056). However, the prevalence of positive anti-GAD antibodies was slightly different between the two groups (P = 0.08). No significant correlation was found between age, gender, and thyroid autoantibodies relative to family history of T1D.

Conclusion: Familial T1D has distinct clinical, biochemical, and immunological characteristics of children in Kuwait. This highlights the importance of future studies into familial T1D in the country.