Finding people with early-stage type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) screening identifies people in Stages 1 and 2 of the condition, which is where the immune system has begun destroying beta cells, but the person has no symptoms and doesn’t need insulin.
Because these stages show no symptoms, screening is the only way to detect T1D early, before stage 3 T1D where insulin therapy is needed.
Learn more about the stages of T1D.
Detecting T1D markers in the blood
Screening tests for T1D detect T1D-specific autoantibodies in the blood, called islet autoantibodies. These autoantibodies are proteins made when the immune system is attacking insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas.
The number of islet autoantibodies can predict if someone will go on to develop T1D. Another sign is persistence – that is, if the islet autoantibodies are still in the blood after 3 months (confirmed by a second blood test).
What does having T1D autoantibodies mean?
Our immune system sometimes becomes activated against our own cells, which can be identified by the presence of autoantibodies.
Usually, these immune responses get regulated by our immune system and the autoantibodies disappear. Having 1 islet autoantibody doesn’t mean you’ll definitely develop T1D, because your body may regulate the immune system and the autoantibody may disappear.
However, having 2 or more persistent islet autoantibodies means the body isn’t regulating the autoimmune attack efficiently. This means there’s:
- a 70% chance of developing T1D in the next 10 years, and
- nearly 100%Â chance of developing T1D in their lifetime.
Nearly everyone with 2 or more persistent islet autoantibodies will go on to develop T1D in the future.
Recent evidence has shown that the particular kind of autoantibodies someone has, and how old the person is when they appear, may be important in determining the progression to Stage 3 T1D.
What does T1D screening involve?
T1D screening uses a simple blood test, which is quick and easy to do.
Test kits involve a finger prick to draw blood to place in spots on a card or a small test tube. That’s then sent to a research lab, where the blood is analysed for the presence of islet autoantibodies.
If the screening test is positive for islet autoantibodies, a venous blood test (where blood is taken from the arm with a needle) is needed to confirm the findings.
People with confirmed islet autoantibodies then receive education, monitoring and specialist follow-up.
What are the benefits of screening?
The vast majority of people, even those with a family history of T1D, will get a negative screening result – that is, they won’t have any islet autoantibodies in their blood. This offers peace of mind and helps people stop worrying.
If the test does come back positive, early detection offers many advantages:
- access to clinical trials of drugs that could delay T1D
- time to learn about T1DÂ and prepare
- a smoother and less stressful start to insulin therapy
- avoiding a dangerous emergency diagnosis
- improved long-term health outcomes
- reduced risk of T1D complications
- contributing to scientific understanding.
How can I get screened for T1D in Australia?
Type1Screen
Breakthrough T1D funds Type1Screen, which offers free T1D screening for anyone aged 2+ with a relative diagnosed with T1D, or who has previously tested positive for islet autoantibodies.
Screening family members of people with T1D is a priority as they have a higher risk of developing T1D than the rest of the population.