Factors Influencing Frequency and Duration of Remission in Children and Adolescents Newly Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

BACKGROUND This study aimed to determine the frequency and duration of remission in children and adolescents newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and to investigate factors associated with these parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty patients newly diagnosed with T1DM were followed for 1 year. Daily insulin requirement of less than 0.5 U/kg/day dose when the HbA1c value is less than 8% was regarded as partial remission. Patients were grouped according to their remission duration. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of the remission groups and non-remission groups were compared to find factors influencing remission and to investigate their contribution to the duration of remission. RESULTS Remission was observed in 24 (48%) out of 50 patients included in the study. Remission frequency was found to be associated with age, sex, and puberty. Longer duration of remission was more frequent in the younger age group, in pre-pubertal stage, and in male patients. Daily insulin dose and basal insulin requirement of those who went into remission was found to be significantly lower than in the other patients at discharge. CONCLUSIONS Decreased daily total and basal insulin requirement at discharge are valuable in predicting remission. The remission process in type 1 diabetes still has many characteristics that need to be clarified. Therefore, more extensive studies are needed.