Association of Skin Autofluorescence with Blood Glucose Levels in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background People with diabetes mellitus are particularly vulnerable to chronic glycation of proteins and tissue damage caused by the buildup of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). A non-invasive optical technique called skin autofluorescence (SAF) can be used to detect the accumulation of AGEs in the skin. There is a significant association between elevated SAF and diabetes and it predicts the development of complications associated with diabetes. This study evaluated the correlation between SAF and both status and development and also SAF's possible clinical utility as a tool for detecting type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and its complications in children. Methods A systematic search was conducted across the following databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Control Trials, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science. We used a random effects model for FOX analysis to examined the link between AGEs detected through SAF levels and T1DM in children. The SAF values of children with and without T1DM were compared. Analysis of 95% confidence interval correlation coefficients based on DerSimonian and Laird methods was performed for application of SAF measurements as a noninvasive alternative to T1DM diagnosis and complications. Results Three case-control studies and one retrospective cohort study were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The AGE Reader® (DiagnOptics Technologies, Groningen, The Netherlands) was used to evaluate the SAF of all included studies. The results showed that there was statistically significant heterogeneity among the four studies (I2 = 82.00% P < 0.05). The random effect model showed that higher SAF levels were positively correlated with T1DM in children [0.20 (0.16, 0.25)], which indicated that in the four studies, the SAF value of T1DM children was higher than that of non-type 1 diabetic children. Conclusion Our findings suggest that measuring SAF levels may serve as a non-invasive marker for T1DM in children and its associated complications. Nevertheless, to obtain more robust conclusions and support specific data on T1DM complications, further research with a larger population and a longer follow-up duration is necessary.