Gestational diabetes mellitus combined with fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus, four cases of double diabetes: A case report

BACKGROUND Fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus(FT1DM)that occurs during pregnancy or the perinatal period is known as pregnancy-related FT1DM(PF),always without history of abnormal glucose metabolism.Here,we present four patients who developed FT1DM during treatment but were first diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM).CASE SUMMARY The clinical data of four patients with GDM combined with FT1DM admitted to our hospital between July 2018 and April 2021 were collected,and the patients and their infants were followed up.All patients were diagnosed with GDM during the second trimester and were treated.The blood glucose level elevated suddenly during the third trimester and then were diagnosed with FT1DM.Two patients had an insulin allergy,and two had symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection before onset.One patient developed ketoacidosis,and three developed ketosis.Two patients had cesarean section deliveries,and two had vaginal deliveries.The growth and development of the infants were normal.C-peptide levels were lower than those at onset,suggesting progressive impairment of islet function.The frequencies of the DRB109:01,DQB103:03,DQA103:02,DPA101:03,DPA102:02,DPB105:01,DRB401:03,G 01:01,and G 01:04 human leukocyte antigen(HLA)-G alleles were high in the present study.CONCLUSION In comparison with pregnancy-associated FT1DM(PF),patients with GDM combined with FT1DM had an older age of onset,higher body mass index,slower onset,fewer prodromal symptoms,and less acidosis.The pathogenesis may be due to various factors affecting the already fragileβ-cells of GDM patients with genetically susceptible class II HLA genotypes.We speculate that GDM combined with FT1DM during pregnancy,referred to as“double diabetes,”is a subtype of PF with its own unique characteristics that should be investigated further.

Individualized diabetes care:Lessons from the real-world experience

Diabetes care is often difficult without a proper collaboration between the patient and the care provider as the disease is mostly self-managed by patients through adjustments in their lifestyles,and medication doses to optimise glycaemic control.Most clinical guidelines on the management of diabetes mellitus(DM)provide only broad principles on diabetes care,and the blind follow-up of such principles without a proper review and consideration of patient characteristics often results in inadequate glycaemic control and diabetes complications consequently.Therefore,a proper understanding of the pathobiology,clinical situation,and comorbidities of the individual case is of paramount importance to tailoring the most appropriate management strategy in real-world diabetes care.With the aid of five unique cases of DM[(1)Medically managed type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)with severe obesity;(2)Management of T2DM with unreliable glycated haemoglobin(HbA1c);(3)Obesity in a patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus(T1DM);and(4)Late diagnosis and subsequent management of monogenic diabetes and 5.Sudden worsening of well-controlled T2DM)]we elaborate on the importance of individualised diabetes care and the practicalities in these situations.The review also provides an evidence update on the management of different forms of DM to guide physicians in optimising the care of their patients in day-to-day clinical practice.