Genetic Determination and Immunopathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Humans

Type 1 diabetes comprises autoimmune-mediated and idiopathic beta-cell destruction of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans resulting to absolute insulin deficiency. Susceptibility to T1D is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. It is generally believed that environmental agents, such as viral infections, dietary factors in early infancy or climatic influences, trigger disease development in genetically susceptible individuals. Many candidate regions for diabetes genes have been reported, the insulin, glutamic acid 65, insuloma associated antigen 2, and zinc transporter ZnT8 genes being among the most important. The destruction of b cells is mediated mainly by cellular mechanisms; antibodies seem to reflect the ongoing autoimmune process only, not being directly involved in tissue damage. They, however, appear prior to the onset of insulin deficiency what makes us to profit from in prevention of the disease.