European Study Alarmingly Finds That COVID-19 Infections in Toddlers Alter Genes and Raises Risk of Type 1 Diabetes
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Aug 02, 2025 9 hours, 5 minutes ago
Thailand Medical News: COVID-19 and Diabetes Risk in Young Children
A large international study led by scientists from Germany’s Helmholtz Zentrum München, Technische Universität Dresden, KU Leuven in Belgium, University of Oxford, Lund University in Sweden, and the Medical University of Warsaw, has revealed that toddlers who contract COVID-19 may undergo lasting changes in their immune system at the genetic level. These changes could increase their risk of developing type 1 diabetes (T1D) later in life. Researchers found that COVID-19, even when mild, triggered epigenetic modifications—chemical changes that affect how genes work without altering the DNA sequence itself.
European Study Alarmingly Finds That COVID-19 Infections in Toddlers Alter Genes and Raises Risk of Type 1 Diabetes
In this
Thailand Medical News report, scientists specifically looked at “DNA methylation,” a process that switches genes on or off. They studied 740 children, all under two years of age and genetically predisposed to type 1 diabetes. Among them, 81 had experienced COVID-19 before their blood was analyzed. The researchers discovered that many of these children showed changes in immune and antiviral genes such as ADAR, IFI44L, MX1, and OASL, which could affect how their bodies respond to future infections.
A Link to Type 1 Diabetes Genes
What makes the findings more concerning is that these epigenetic changes weren’t random. Six genes already known to increase the risk for T1D—AGPAT1, ATF6B, CNTNAP2, FCRL3, NRP1, and RAD51B—showed altered methylation in children who had COVID-19. Notably, neuropilin-1 (NRP1), which helps the coronavirus enter cells, also plays an important role in immune system regulation and is highly active in insulin-producing beta cells. Researchers worry that these molecular changes might make the immune system more prone to attacking the body’s own cells, potentially kickstarting autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes.
In contrast, children who had been infected with influenza A showed no similar genetic changes, suggesting that COVID-19 has a unique ability to influence immune function long after recovery.
How Long Do These Changes Last
The study found that children infected with SARS-CoV-2 within three months before their blood was drawn showed the strongest gene methylation changes. However, some changes were also present in children who had COVID-19 more than three months earlier—pointing to long-lasting effects. The alterations were particularly strong in genes involved in defending the body against viruses, such as interferon-related pathways and interleukin-27 signaling. These genes help control inflammation and regulate immune tolerance. If disrupted, they may fail to rein in the immune system, allowing it to attack healthy tissues like insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Additionally, the gene ADAR—essential for preventing harmful inflammation—w
as altered in children with recent COVID-19. In previous animal studies, malfunction of ADAR was linked to beta-cell death and diabetes-like symptoms, further underlining the potential consequences.
No Change Seen Before Infection
To rule out whether these epigenetic differences existed before the children caught COVID-19, the researchers examined blood samples from 61 children taken before they became infected. They found no differences compared to children who never had the virus, supporting the idea that COVID-19 triggered the changes.
Importantly, these findings were only observed in children who had a higher genetic risk of developing T1D, meaning that not all children may be equally affected. Nevertheless, the researchers warn that viral infections during early childhood could tip the immune system in dangerous directions, especially when paired with certain genetic factors.
Why This Matters
The study raises serious questions about the long-term health consequences of COVID-19 in children, even when symptoms are mild or absent. While more research is needed to confirm whether these gene changes directly cause type 1 diabetes, the evidence suggests that COVID-19 may contribute to a growing number of cases. Parents, doctors, and policymakers should take note, especially when considering protective strategies for young children.
The findings underscore the importance of monitoring children post-COVID-19 and potentially developing interventions to restore immune balance. With global diabetes rates in youth already rising, understanding the root causes is more urgent than ever.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed Journal of Autoimmunity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896841125001131
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/study-finds-that-long-covid-linked-to-accelerated-aging-and-epigenetic-changes
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-covid-19-news-israeli-and-american-study-shows-epigenetic-changes-occurring-with-elevated-a-to-i-rna-editing-in-covid-19-infected-individuals
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-news-even-asymptomatic-sars-cov-2-infections-cause-dna-methylation-and-epigenetic-changes,-leading-to-immune-dysregulation
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