In Mediterranean countries, the incidence (per 100,000 per year) of Type 1 diabetes in children aged under 15 years shows wide variation from country to country, ranging from 2.45 in Macedonia to 34.4 in Sardinia. By interacting with environmental factors such as diet, toxins or viral infections, the HLA plus non-HLA genes of susceptibility or resistance to Type 1 diabetes so far identified are the strongest determinants of the disease as far as incidence, age at onset and sex ratio are concerned. The distribution of these genes in the Mediterranean region is still not completely known. Sardinians are the most suitable population for studying such phenomena for three main reasons: their genetic features have been repeatedly analysed in depth; their incidence rate of Type 1 diabetes is by far the highest in the Mediterranean area; and considerable colonies of Sardinian emigrants settled in neighbouring low-incidence Italian regions. Studies on Spaniards and Jews have also contributed to a better understanding of the respective roles of genetic and environmental factors. From a body of research on the Mediterranean populations, it can be concluded that great genetic heterogeneity accounts for the wide variation in incidence of Type 1 diabetes, while rather ubiquitious environmental factors trigger the disease in genetically predisposed individuals.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Increased mean red cell volume in diabetes mellitus.

We investigated the relationship between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and mean red cell volume (MCV) in 103 diabetic patients. Patients were selected among those admitted to our Diabetic Clinic according to the following criteria: absence of anemia, polycytemia, liver disease and use of drugs other than antidiabetic agents. All patients had peripheral blood profile performed on admission on a fasting venous sample for MCV and FPG. A highly significant correlation (r = 0.336; p less than 0.0005) was found between MCV and FPG in individual patients and when analyzed as a whole group. Patients were then divided into two subgroups according to FPG, using the value of 200 mg/dl as an arbitrary limit. The correlation between MCV and FPG remained significant, though weak (r = 0.243; 0.10 greater than p greater than 0.05) only in the subgroup with FPG greater than 200 mg/dl (n = 36). Therefore our data suggest a relationship between FPG and MCV in diabetic patients with FPG exceeding 200 mg/dl. The nature of this relation is only a matter of speculation.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Dyschromatopsia in diabetes mellitus and its relation to metabolic control.

In 102 insulin-dependent diabetic patients without retinopathy and with visual acuity 20/20, the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue test was performed, and glycosylated hemoglobin (GlHb) levels were determined. In 70% of the patients, a dyschromatopsia in the yellow-blue axis (tritanopia) was found. No correlation existed between duration of diabetes and tritanopia. On the other hand, the degree of this visual defect was positively correlated with GlHb levels. Thus, dyschromatopsia might be associated with poor metabolic control. It is suggested that dyschromatopsia is a consequence of hypoxia at the neuroepithelial level. The high levels of GlHb could be a contributory cause of hypoxia by reduction of both oxygen release capacity and erythrocyte deformability.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

High incidence of type 1 diabetes in Sardinia. Gruppo Collaborativo per l'Epidemiologia dell'IDDM in Sardegna.

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Adolescent↗