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Virginia PrIMeD Study

The goal of this study was to determine whether screening children (2-16 yrs) in pediatric waiting rooms for genetic risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D) could be applied to diverse (by geography, genetic ancestry) communities, and for those at "high genetic risk," if barriers prevent subsequent screening for presence of islet autoantibodies.

A total of 3,818 children were recruited from eight general pediatric and specialty clinics across Virginia. Clinical Research Coordinators were stationed at each clinic and obtained informed consent/assent, a brief medical history, and a saliva sample for DNA extraction and determination of their genetic risk using a T1D Genetic Risk Score (T1D GRS). Children were present in the clinic for a "healthy" visit, although children with and without a history of T1D were recruited into the study. Age, sex, self-reported ancestry/race, T1D history, and other medical history information was obtained. DNA was extracted from the saliva samples and genotyping with a T1D-focused array using 74 SNPs (including 26 SNPs in the HLA region) provided data to generate a T1D GRS for each individual.

Of the 3,818 children recruited, there was a slight excess of males (1,959, 51.3%), a majority of white and Hispanic/Latino ancestry (82.8%), and 91 (2.4%) with prevalent T1D. A total of 542 (14.2%) had "high T1D genetic risk" (T1D GRS > 5). Although the T1D GRS included non-HLA genetic variants, 80% of those with "high genetic risk" would have been classified using only those SNPs in the HLA region alone. Of children with "high genetic risk" and without pre-existing T1D (n=494), 7.0% (34/494) consented for islet autoantibody screening. Among children with pre-existing T1D (n=91), 52% (n=48) also had a "high genetic risk." The HLA-focused T1D GRS was not significantly associated with age at onset of T1D.

Of those at high genetic risk that consented for autoantibody testing (n=34) and completed the blood collection (n=28), two (2/28, 7.1%) tested positive for multiple autoantibodies and were at significant risk of developing T1D. Follow up of 55% of parents/guardians identified 2 (of 2,096, 0.095%) participants who developed T1D, one at "high genetic risk" and one with a first-degree relative with T1D. A major factor in obtaining islet autoantibody testing was concern over SARS-Cov-2 exposure and an independent non-scheduled blood collection.

Individual-level data at each SNP (genotyped and imputed) for T1D genetic risk and affiliated data are provided in dbGaP.