Prevalence of asthma in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a scoping review

Abstract

Abstract Background According to the Th1/Th2 paradigm, the expansion of Th1-type clones in individuals with type 1 diabetes results in reduced Th2-type clones, preventing the development of atopic diseases and vice versa. However, there is no consensus regarding the direct or inverse relationship between autoimmune and atopic diseases. Objective The aim of this scoping review was to examine the knowledge gap about the possibility of coexistence of asthma and type 1 diabetes and determine the prevalence of this association. Methods A scoping review was conducted, following the proposal of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The Population, Concept, and Context strategy was used to formulate the guiding question. The proposed question was: “What is the prevalence of asthma in people with T1DM?” After excluding duplicate articles, analyzing titles and abstracts, and excluding articles that did not answer the guiding question, 17 articles remained and were included in this review. Results Most of the articles selected conformed to the Th1/Th2 hypothesis, as the prevalence of asthma was lower in individuals with T1DM. However, similar or higher prevalence of asthma was found between cases and controls in few articles. Conclusion The prevalence of asthma in people with T1DM ranged from 1.7% to 23.1%. Maybe the mechanisms that characterizes the Th1/Th2 paradigm aren’t as simple as just the interaction of certain cytokines, since Th1-mediated autoimmune diseases and Th2- mediated atopy can coexist.