Substance Use Affects Type 1 Diabetes Pancreas Pathology: Implications for Future Studies

• Published in: Frontiers in endocrinology (Lausanne) 2021-11, Vol.12, p.778912
• Main Authors: Bruggeman, Brittany S, Campbell-Thompson, Martha, Filipp, Stephanie L, Gurka, Matthew J, Atkinson, Mark A, Schatz, Desmond A, Jacobsen, Laura M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Case-Control Studies; Child; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - pathology; Endocrinology; Female; Humans; Insulin-Secreting Cells - pathology; islet amyloid polypeptide; islets of langerhans; Islets of Langerhans - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Pancreas - pathology; Pancreas, Exocrine - pathology; pancreatitis; pathology; substance-related disorders; Substance-Related Disorders - complications; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - pathology; Tissue Donors; United States - epidemiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1664-2392; 1664-2392
• DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.778912

Access to human pancreas samples from organ donors has greatly advanced our understanding of type 1 diabetes pathogenesis; however, previous studies have shown that donors have a high rate of substance use, and its impact on pancreatic histopathology in this disease is not well described. One-hundred-thirty-one type 1 diabetes and 111 control organ donor pancreata from persons 12-89 years of age (mean 29.8 ± 15.5 years) within the Network for Pancreatic Organ donors with Diabetes (nPOD) were examined for insulin positivity, insulitis, amyloid staining, acute and chronic pancreatitis, and chronic exocrine changes (acinar atrophy, fibrosis, fatty infiltration, or periductal fibrosis); findings were compared by history of substance use. A secondary analysis compared exocrine pancreatic histopathologic findings in type 1 diabetes versus control organ donors regardless of substance use history. We observed a high but congruent rate of substance use in type 1 diabetes and control organ donors (66.4% and 64% respectively). Among donors with type 1 diabetes (but not controls), islet amyloid (OR 9.96 [1.22, 81.29]) and acute pancreatitis (OR 3.2 [1.06, 9.63]) were more common in alcohol users while chronic exocrine changes (OR 8.86 [1.13, 69.31]) were more common in cocaine users. Substance use impacted the pancreata of donors with type 1 diabetes more than controls. Overall, despite similar rates of substance use, acute pancreatitis (15.3% versus 4.5%, p=0.0061), chronic pancreatitis (29.8% versus 9.9%, p=0.0001), and chronic exocrine changes (73.3% versus 36.9%, p