Nutrition Study of the Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study
(The DIPP Nutrition Study)

The DIPP study is a longitudinal study on type 1 diabetes prediction and prevention carried out in the university hospitals of Turku, Tampere and Oulu. The principal investigators of the DIPP project are Dr Jorma Ilonen, Professor Mikael Knip, and Professor Olli Simell. The core blood samples are used for screening of predisposed genotypes and those children, who are detected having genes associated with increased risk of type 1 diabetes, are invited to participate in the study. In addition to the genetic susceptibility, also the role of environmental factors such as viral infections and diet is studied in the development of clinical diabetes and its preconditions.

The DIPP Nutrition Research team comprises researchers working in Helsinki, in the Nutrition Unit of the National Public Health Institute and in Tampere, in Tampere School of Public Health. The Nutrition Study investigates longitudinally the dietary factors in relation to the development of diabetic autoantibodies and clinical type 1 diabetes. The diet of the children is followed up by a structured questionnaire and by 3-day dietary records at various ages. A food frequency questionnaire is applied for studying the dietary intake of pregnant and lactating mothers. The Nutrition Study started in Oulu in 1996, and in Tampere in 1997.

From the previous studies it is known that some dietary factors may contribute to the development of type 1 diabetes. Nitrate and nitrite intakes and an early exposure to cow’s milk have been associated with increased risk, whereas a long duration of breastfeeding has been connected to a decreased risk of diabetes. The dietary antioxidants (e.g. vitamins E and C), and vitamin D are suspected to be protective against type 1 diabetes. No dietary factor has so far been known for certain to protect or to cause type 1 diabetes.

Staff of the DIPP Nutrition Study
Head	Prof Suvi Virtanen	+358 20 610 8729
Post doc	Dr Maijaliisa Erkkola
	Dr Susanna Kautiainen
	Dr Liisa Uusitalo
Doctoral students	MSc Pipsa Kyttälä
	MD Mirka Lumia
	MSc Johanna Metsälä
	MSc Sari Niinistö
	MPH Bright Nwaru
	MSc Marianne Prasad
	MSc Jetta Tuokkola
Other researchers	MSc Suvi Ahonen	+358 40 190 1633
	MSc Mirva Koreasalo
	MSc Minna Pekkala
	MSc Anne Riikonen
	MSc Hanna-Mari Takkinen
	MSc Mari Åkerlund

References

• Virtanen SM, Aro A. Dietary factors in the aetiology of diabetes. Ann Med 1994;26:469-478.
• Virtanen SM, Hyppönen E, Läärä E, Vähäsalo P, Kulmala P, Savola K, Räsänen L, Aro A, Knip M, Åkerblom HK, the Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group. Cow's milk consumption, disease associated autoantibodies and Type 1 diabetes mellitus: a follow-up study in siblings of diabetic children. Diabetic Medicine 1998;15:730–8.
• Åkerblom HK, Knip M. Putative environmental factors in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Metab rev 1998;14:31-67.
• Hyppönen E, Erkkola M, Virtanen SM. Ravitsemus nuoruustyypin diabeteksen synnyssä. Sosiaalilääketieteellinen Aikakauslehti 1999;36:24-32.
• Hyppönen E, Kenward MG, Virtanen SM, Piitulainen A, Virta-Autio P, Tuomilehto J, Knip M, Åkerblom HK, the Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group. Infant feeding, early weight gain, and risk of type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care 1999;22:1961-1965.
• Virtanen SM, Läärä E, Hyppönen E, Reijonen H, Räsänen L, Aro A, Knip M, Ilonen J, Åkerblom HK, and the Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group. Cow's milk consumption, HLA-DQB1 genotype and IDDM: a nested case-control study of siblings of children with diabetes. Diabetes 2000;49:912-7.
• Hyppönen E, Virtanen SM, Kenward MG, Knip M, Åkerblom HK, the Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group. Obesity, increased growth and risk of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in children. Diabetes Care 2000;23:1755-60.
• Kimpimäki T, Erkkola M, Korhonen S, Kupila A, Virtanen SM, Ilonen J, Simell O, Knip M. Short exclusive breast feeding predisposes to progressive beta-cell autoimmunity in young children at increased risk for type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia 2001;44:63-9.
• Hyppönen E, Läärä E, Reunanen A, Järvelin MR, Virtanen SM. Are low intake of vitamin D and suspicion of rickets associated with the risk of Type 1 diabetes? – Evidence from a birth-cohort study in northern Finland. Lancet 2001;358:1500-1503.
• Kautiainen S, Rimpelä A, Vikat A, Virtanen SM. Secular trends in overweight, obesity and perceived weight among Finnish adolescents in 1977-1999. International Journal of Obesity 2002;26:544-552.
• Virtanen SM, Knip M. Nutritional risk predictors of beta-cell autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes at a young age. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78:1053-67.
• Marjamäki M, Räsänen M, Uusitalo L, Ahonen S, Veijola R, Knip M, Virtanen SM. Use of vitamin D and other dietary supplements by Finnish children at the age of 2 and 3 years. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2004;74:27-34.
• Åkerblom HK, Virtanen SM, Ilonen J, Savilahti E, Vaarala O, Reunanen A, Teramo K, Hämäläinen A-M, Paronen J, National TRIGR Study Groups. Dietary manipulation of beta cell autoimmunity in infants at increased risk of type 1 diabetes: a pilot study. Diabetologia 2005;48:829-837.
• Erkkola M, Pigg H-M, Virta-Autio P, Hekkala A, Hyppönen E, Knip M, Virtanen SM. Infant feeding patterns in the Finnish type 1 diabetes prediction and prevention nutrition study cohort. Eur J Clin Nutr 2005;59:107-113.
• Erkkola M, Kronberg-Kippilä C, Savilahti E, Kenward MG, Salonen M, Ilonen J, Knip M, Åkerblom HK, Virtanen SM. Maternal consumption of dairy products during pregnancy and lactation, and the development of cow's milk antibodies in the offspring. Acta Paediatrica 2005;94:696-704.
• Kautiainen S, Koivusilta L, Lintonen T, Virtanen SM, Rimpelä A. Use of information and communication technology and prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Int J Obes 2005;29:925-33.
• Knip M, Veijola R, Virtanen SM, Hyöty H, Vaarala O, Åkerblom H. Environmental triggers and determinants of type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 2005;54(Suppl 2):S125-S136.
• Räsänen M, Kronberg-Kippilä C, Ahonen S, Uusitalo L, Kautiainen S, Erkkola M, Veijola R, Knip M, Kaila M, Virtanen SM. Intake of vitamin D by Finnish children aged 3 months to 3 years in relation to sociodemographic factors. Eur J Clin Nutr (In press).
• Uusitalo L, Knip M, Kenward MG, Alfthan G, Sundvall J, Aro A, Reunanen A, Åkerblom HK, Virtanen SM and the Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group. Serum alfa-tocopherol concentrations and risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus: a cohort study in siblings of affected children. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism 2005;18(12):1409-16.
• Virtanen SM, Kenward MG, Erkkola M, Kautiainen S, Kronberg-Kippilä C, Hakulinen T, Ahonen S, Uusitalo L, Veijola R, Simell OG, Ilonen J, Knip M. Age at introduction of new foods in infancy and advanced beta-cell autoimmunity in young children with HLA-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia 2006;49:1512-21.
• Vähätalo L, Bärlund S, Hannila M-L, Uusitalo U, Salonen M, Nucci A, Krischer JP, Knip M, Åkerblom HK, Virtanen SM, the TRIGR Study Group. Relative validity of a dietary interview for assessing infant diet and compliance in a dietary intervention trial. Maternal and Child Nutrition 2006;2:181-7.

 

Short address for this page: http://www.ktl.fi/portal/5731 Updated: 5.9.2011 | Suvi Virtanen