Korean J Pediatr.  2018 Jul;61(7):217-220. 10.3345/kjp.2018.61.7.217.

Autoimmunity and intestinal colonization by Candida albicans in patients with type 1 diabetes at the time of the diagnosis

• Gürsoy S
• Koçkar T
• Ugan Atik
• Önal Z
• Önal H
• Adal E

• KMID: 2429099
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3345/kjp.2018.61.7.217

Abstract

PURPOSE
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic and immune-mediated disease, which is characterized by the progressive destruction of pancreatic beta cells. T1DM precipitates in genetically susceptible individuals through environmental factors. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of autoimmunity and intestinal colonization of Candida albicans on the development of T1DM.
METHODS
Forty-two patients newly diagnosed with T1DM and 42 healthy subjects were included in this monocentric study. The basic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded. T1DM-, thyroid-, and celiac-associated antibodies were evaluated. Stool cultures for C. albicans were performed to assess whether or not gut integrity was impaired in patients with T1DM.
RESULTS
The evaluation of T1DM- and thyroid-associated antibodies showed that the prevalences of islet cell antibodies and antithyroperoxidase positivity were higher in the study patients than in the patients in the control group. Furthermore, the direct examination and culture of fresh stool samples revealed that 50% of the patients with T1DM and 23.8% of the control subjects had fungi (C. albicans).
CONCLUSION
Through this study, we suggest that the presence of intestinal C. albicans colonization at the time of the diagnosis of T1DM may indicate impairment of normal intestinal microbiota. We also suggest that there may be a tendency of T1DM in patients with a high prevalence of intestinal C. albicans.

Keyword

Type 1 diabetes mellitus; Intestinal microbiota; Candida albicans

MeSH Terms

Antibodies
Autoimmunity*
Candida albicans*
Candida*
Colon*
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1
Diagnosis*
Fungi
Gastrointestinal Microbiome
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Insulin-Secreting Cells
Islets of Langerhans
Prevalence
Antibodies