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Skin AGEs linked with precocious tissue aging, complications in children with diabetes
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PHILADELPHIA — High levels of skin advanced glycation end products may be associated with a form of precocious tissue aging and an increased risk for complications among children with type 1 diabetes, according to Shreepal Shah, MD, who presented results of an ongoing study at the American Diabetes Association’s 72nd Scientific Sessions.
“A large fraction of children with diabetes have precocious accumulation of skin advanced glycation end products, as estimated by skin intrinsic fluorescence,” Shah, of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Research Institute for Children at the Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, said during his presentation.
Shah and colleagues compared the measure of skin advanced glycation end products (sAGEs) in 133 children with type 1 diabetes and 20 children with type 2 diabetes with 91 children and 129 adults without diabetes. They used skin intrinsic fluorescence, determined by a Veralight Scout DS device, to measure sAGEs.
“Advanced glycated end products accumulate in tissues over time and tissue burden is a function of chronologic age. Type 1 diabetes increases AGE formation and AGEs may contribute to development of type 1 diabetes complications,” Shah and colleagues wrote in their abstract. “The implications of AGEs in children are not clear; therefore, we assessed the relationship between CA and type 1 diabetes on skin AGEs in children.”
Skin intrinsic fluorescence (SIF), stimulated at 420 gammas (SIF420c), increased with chronologic age among participants without diabetes. After adjusting for chronologic age and sex, SIF at 420 gammas was higher among children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes compared with those without (P,.01). This was also true when comparing children with diabetes and adults without diabetes.
Minimal overlap in SIF420c values occurred among children without diabetes and adults, but considerable overlap occurred among children with diabetes and adults who were 26 years older, on average. Nearly 45% of children with type 1 diabetes and 55% of children with type 2 diabetes had SIF comparable to healthy adults.
Additionally, SIF was associated with HbA1c but not mean blood glucose.
“Factors predisposing patients to precocious accumulation of skin AGEs may predispose them to the development of diabetes complications,” Shah said. – by Stacey L. Fisher
For more information:
Shah S. Abstract #148-LB. Presented at: the American Diabetes Association’s 72nd Scientific Sessions; June 8-12, 2012; Philadelphia.
Disclosure: Dr. Maynard is an employee of Veralight.