Clinical analysis of fulminant type 1 diabetes in China and comparison with a nationwide survey in Japan

Abstract

Objectives: To report 26 cases of fulminant type 1 diabetes found in Guangdong Medical College Futian Hospital and Central South University Second Xiangya Hospital in China and to study the difference between Chinese and Japanese patients.

Methods: The clinical and biochemical characteristics of 26 patients who had been diagnosed with fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus in China were analyzed retrospectively and then compared with those characteristics of 161 patients from a nationwide survey in Japan at the time of diagnosis and follow-up 6 months.

Results: The mean values of the characteristics from these two data sets, including fasting and postprandial serum C-peptide concentration, serum sodium and potassium level, positive for GADAb were significantly different (P=0.003, P=0.005, P=0.035, P=0.030, P<0.001, respectively).

Conclusions: The clinical and biochemical characteristics of Chinese patients did not largely differ from those of Japanese patients. Further studies are needed for some unique characteristics found in our group.