The role of vitamin D in the aetiology of type 1 diabetes

Excerpt

To the Editor: The role of vitamin D in the development of type 1 diabetes remains unresolved over several decades. In the communication by Miettinen et al. [1] further evidence is provided arguing for a critical role of early postnatal vitamin D for protection against the development of type 1 diabetes, as evidenced by a small but significantly decreased level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentration in blood samples of case children (defined as having positivity for at least two out of four diabetes-associated autoantibodies) compared with those of country- and age-matched controls (58.0 vs 65.0 nmol/l, p = 0.018, measured 18 months prior to the age of first seroconversion). Notably, only 3% of the case children and 2% of the control children had severe vitamin D deficiency at any time point (serum 25OHD concentration <30 nmol/l). …