06:02 PM PST on Thursday, November 11, 2004

By JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News

SEATTLE - Type 1 or juvenile diabetes is widely believed to be genetic. But not all children who have the genes will go on to develop the disease. Now, scientists want to find out why.

KING

Drew, shown with his sister, is managing his diabetes well.

The Pacific Northwest Research Institute is helping launch the most ambitious study yet to learn more about the environmental triggers for diabetes

By now, Drew Pepin is an expert at managing his diabetes, but the diagnosis itself came as a shock because there was no family history of the disease. It turned out that all three of the Pepin children carry the genes for type 1 diabetes. So far, only Drew has developed the disease.

"There were little things maybe that happened differently for Drew than happened for the girls, but there's nothing really that you can hang your hat on,” said his mother, Kim Pepin.

Doctors have long suspected there are environmental triggers for diabetes.

"There's been suggestions that maybe a certain virus might trigger it, a certain food, if given too early in life or lack of breast milk,” said Dr. Bill Hagopian.

Until now, there have been no definitive studies. Researchers will be using the same blood sample taken at birth to identify local children at risk for type 1 diabetes.

Those at highest risk will be asked to participate in the 15-year study. Not all of them will get the disease and researchers will be able to compare those who don't get the disease, with those that do.

For the Pepins, the options are limited.

"I think with the girls, we'll keep getting their antibodies tested and we're just extremely watchful,” said Kim Pepin.

In the future, parents and doctors may be able to do more.

"Hopefully, by finding simple things that children can avoid in the early stages of life, we might be able to significantly reduce the incidence of new diabetes without expensive or toxic therapies,” Hagopian said.

Those who do go on to develop diabetes in the study will have the advantage of early detection, being diagnosed at the time when the disease is easiest to treat.

The international study will last 15 years and will follow 1,200 children in the Seattle area alone.