Children who go on to develop type 1 diabetes may show signs of this increased risk in their gut microbiome — the bacteria, fungi, and other organisms that live in our digestive tract — at one year old, according to a new analysis published in the journal Diabetologia.
In recent years, one major focus of research on type 1 diabetes has been identifying signs of the condition as early as possible — ideally long before blood glucose levels become abnormal. Researchers have identified blood markers of early beta cell death (beta cells in the pancreas produce insulin) that may be evident as early as three months of age, as well as genetic variants that may identify children at high risk for type 1 diabetes. There is now an approved drug treatment to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes, and other strategies may help slow the progression of the disease, including a blood pressure drug and even vitamin D supplements.
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For the latest analysis, researchers were interested in looking at the relationship between infants’ gut microbiome and their future risk of developing type 1 diabetes, as long as 20 years later. The participants were infants enrolled in a general health study called All Babies In Southeast Sweden, which involved contributing a stool sample at an average age of 12.5 months. A total of 16 infants who went on to develop type 1 diabetes — at an average age of 13.3 years — and 268 who did not go on to develop type 1 diabetes were included in the analysis.
Microbiome differences seen in children who developed type 1 diabetes
The researchers used DNA and RNA sequencing methods to identify differences in the microbes found in the stool samples of infants who went on to develop type 1 diabetes, compared with those who didn’t develop the disease. They found that groups of bacteria known as Parasutterella and Eubacterium were seen more often in infants who did not develop type 1 diabetes, while another group called Porphyromonas was seen more often in those who developed type 1 diabetes. What’s more, the relative abundance of a group of bacteria known as Ruminococcus “was a strong determinant in differentiating” between infants who would go on to develop type 1 diabetes and those who would not.
The researchers noted that gut bacteria play a key role in the immune system, and that type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. So while this study did not demonstrate that gut bacteria play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes (it just showed that differences exist), this may in fact be the case — and taking steps to change a child’s gut bacteria composition might reduce their risk for type 1 diabetes.
“This investigation suggests that microbial biomarkers for type 1 diabetes may be present as early as 1 year of age,” the researchers concluded, adding that “the possibility of preventing disease onset by altering or promoting a ‘healthy’ gut microbiome is appealing.”
Want to learn more about the microbiome? Read “Diabetes and the Microbiome” and “Five Ways to Improve Gut Health.”