Associations of body weight and COVID-19 with autoimmunity in pediatric new-onset type 1 diabetes: results from the prospective DPV registry
Authors' conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic and body weight influenced autoimmunity in children with T1D. The rise in IA2 autoantibody positivity may suggest a faster progression from pre-existing autoimmunity to clinical disease. The pandemic did not appear to trigger associated endocrine autoimmunity.
Study context
- Population
- Children and adolescents aged 0.5 to <18 years with new-onset T1D (2015–2023), Diabetes Prospective Follow-up Registry
- Participants
- 11,973 children
- Exposure
- T1D diagnosis during vs before the COVID-19 pandemic; Body mass index (BMI)
- During COVID-19n = 5,837
- Before COVID-19n = 6,136reference
- Outcome
- Beta-cell autoantibody positivity
Methodological detailsprospective registry, logistic regression adjusted for age and sex
- Prospective registry
- Logistic regression adjusted for age and sex
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Beta-cell autoantibodies present (overall)
94.3%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Autoantibodies and BMI
- IA2, ZnT8 and insulin, but not glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), autoantibodies positively associated with BMI
Endocrine autoantibodies
- Thyroid autoantibodies (overall)
- 7.7%
- Transglutaminase (TGA) autoantibodies (overall)
- 8.3%
- Adrenal autoantibodies (overall)
- 5.6%
- Thyroid and TGA autoantibodies not related to the pandemic; adrenal autoantibodies negatively related
Original publication
Associations of body weight and COVID-19 with autoimmunity in pediatric new-onset type 1 diabetes: results from the prospective DPV registry. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. Published 16 January 2026. doi:10.
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