Maternal virus infections in pregnancy and type 1 diabetes in their offspring: Systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies |
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| Authors: | Digby W. Allen Ki Wook Kim William D. Rawlinson Maria E. Craig |
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| Affiliation: | 1. School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales Medicine, Sydney, Australia;2. POWH and UNSW Virology Research Laboratory, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia;3. School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;4. School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;5. Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia;6. Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The Children's Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Virus infections are implicated in the development of type 1 diabetes based on epidemiological, clinical, in vitro cell‐based and molecular studies, and animal models. We reviewed the association between virus infections in pregnant women and development of islet autoimmunity or type 1 diabetes in their offspring. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis, analysed using random effects models, of human studies from Medline and EMBASE without language restriction. Inclusion criteria were as follows: cohort and case‐control studies measuring viral nucleic acid in blood, stool, urine, or tissue, or serological tests for viruses, in pregnant women whose offspring developed islet autoimmunity and/or type 1 diabetes. All studies required sufficient data to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The 10 studies (4 case control, 6 nested‐case control) that met the eligibility criteria included 2992 participants (953 offspring, 2039 mothers), with varying study design. The 2 outcomes examined were islet autoimmunity (n = 466) and type 1 diabetes (n = 2526). Meta‐analysis showed a significant association between virus infection during pregnancy and clinical type 1 diabetes during childhood (odds ratio 2·16, 95% CI 1·22‐3·80; P = 0·008; heterogeneity X2 = 1·65, I2 = 40%), but no association with islet autoimmunity (1·45, 0·63‐3·31; P = 0·38; X2 = 1·34, I2 = 25%). The increased risk of type 1 diabetes following maternal virus infection is consistent with viraemia involving the fetus during pregnancy and suggests a potential causative link between antenatal infection and type 1 diabetes. Larger prospective birth studies with more frequent sampling, and pathogenesis studies, are required to more clearly establish an aetiological link. |
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| Keywords: | congenital rubella coxsackievirus cytomegalovirus enterovirus islet autoimmunity type 1 diabetes |
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