COVID-19 AS A TRIGGER FOR TYPE 1 DIABETES MELLITUS MANIFESTATION IN CHILDREN
https://doi.org/10.57256/2949-0715-2026-5-2-50-56
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted the structure of endocrine pathology in the pediatric population. The COVID-19 pandemic. It is hypothesized that the coronavirus exhibits tropism for pancreatic β-cells, potentially acting as a trigger for the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Aim. To analyze the dynamics of hospitalizations of children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus in the intensive care unit and to evaluate the potential correlation between disease manifestation and a history of coronavirus infection.
Materials and methods. A retrospective study was conducted on 382 cases of children (aged 1 to 18 years) hospitalized with type 1 diabetes mellitus in the intensive care unit of the Bratsk Children's City Hospital between 2000 and 2025. Starting in 2020, patients underwent polymerase chain reaction testing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests for antibodies to the coronavirus.
Results. A sharp increase in the proportion of type 1 diabetes mellitus patients in the in the intensive care unit was observed, rising from 1.1 % in 2001 to 19.3 % in 2025. During the pandemic period (2020–2025), the average annual number of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus cases increased to 14.8 compared to 4.0 in the pre-pandemic period. Positive markers of coronavirus infection were identified in 62 out of 158 primary type 1 diabetes mellitus cases.
Conclusion. The statistically significant growth in type 1 diabetes mellitus incidence during the pandemic, coupled with the presence of specific antibodies, supports the role of coronavirus as a trigger for pancreatic tissue damage and subsequent type 1 diabetes mellitus manifestation in children.
About the Authors
Mikhail F. Ermachenko
Bratsk Children's City Hospital
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Cand. Sci. (Med.), Head of the Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Department
Aleksandr A. Lunenok
Irkutsk State Medical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Resident Physician
Ruslan A. Ivanov
Bratsk Children's City Hospital
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Anesthesiologist and Intensive Care Physician
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Review
For citations:
Ermachenko M.F., Lunenok A.A., Ivanov R.A. COVID-19 AS A TRIGGER FOR TYPE 1 DIABETES MELLITUS MANIFESTATION IN CHILDREN. Baikal Medical Journal. 2026;5(2):50-56. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.57256/2949-0715-2026-5-2-50-56
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