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It has previously been discussed on our list that a far higher proportion of
those with CD develop juvenile diabetes compared with the general population.
 There is now a free NIH-sponsored diabetes screening trial going on.  If you
live in America and have a first or second degree relative with juvenile
diabetes, you can be tested for free by calling (800) 425-8361.

The purpose of the test is to determine if those without diabetes (but with
certain blood antibodies indicating that diabetes is likely to develop) can
delay or avoid diabetes through very small doses of insulin.  The following
press release discusses early results of this study

Bill Elkus
Los Angeles, CA

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 10 Jun 95 18:30:08 PDT
From: Reuter / Mike Cooper <[log in to unmask]>
Newgroups: clari.tw.health
Subject: Insulin may prevent, not just treat diabetes

  ATLANTA (Reuter) - Preliminary studies indicate that insulin
can delay the development of insulin-dependent diabetes in
people who are at high risk of the disease, researchers said
Saturday.
  A large-scale study is now underway to determine how often
and for how long oral or injected insulin can delay the onset of
Type I diabetes, which occurs most often in children and young
adults.
  Symptoms of Type I diabetes are similar to those of
influenza in children. The disease, which is usually diagnosed
before age 30, is the leading cause of blindness in adults.
  Dr. George Eisenbarth, executive director of the Barbara
Davis Center for Childhood Diseases, said the clinical trial
seeks to duplicate the success that has been shown in
small-scale research.
  At the University of Florida College of Medicine, a
three-year study showed encouraging results. ``Of the 32
subjects, five have developed diabetes,'' said Dr. Desmond
Schatz, an associate professor of pediatrics at the university.
    The researchers discussed their efforts at a scientific
meeting of the American Diabetes Association, which estimates
that Type I diabetes affects 700,000 people in the United
States. More than 13 million Americans have Type II diabetes,
which generally develops later in life.
  ``If I was going to guess what's going to happen, I hope
that we prevent more than 50 percent (of Type I diabetes cases)
over five years, delay things five to ten years,'' said
Eisenbarth. ``And there will be a subset who perhaps won't ever
develop diabetes, but we won't know that for a very long time.''
    He said that if insulin treatment can delay the onset of
diabetes for five years, ``that's a tremendous time in the
lifetime of a child.''
  Eisenbarth added that researchers may soon be able to
develop a vaccine against diabetes. ``It's certainly something
we can now do in animal models,'' he said. ``One can take target
antigens, give it to a young mouse that would normally develop
diabetes, and prevent the disease.''
  For the Diabetes Prevention Trial, researchers are seeking
at least 60,000 people nationwide between the ages of 3 and 45
who have a relative with Type I diabetes. They can receive free
blood testing regardless of whether or not they participate in
the study.
  More than 24,000 people have already been screened for the
clinical trial, Schatz said.
  Some of the study's participants will be given insulin
orally or by injection, depending on their assessed risk of
developing diabetes. Researchers can identify genetic markers
with a blood test to tell if someone is at a greater risk for
diabetes than the general population.
  Study results, which are not expected until the year 2000,
could lead to advances in treating other diseases where the body
destroys its own healthy tissue.
  ``Very similar therapies...are likely to be utilized and
considered for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, as well
as for Type I diabetes and other endocrinoid immune diseases,''
Eisenbarth said.