Haptoglobin as an early serum biomarker of virus-induced type 1 diabetes in rats
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 14:51
in Health & Medicine
Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is a multifactorial disease of complex etiology characterized by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells. In addition to genetic susceptibility, it is generally accepted that environmental factors play important roles in triggering disease, with virus infection having perhaps the strongest association. Multiple viral infections including cytomegalovirus, mumps, rubella, enteroviruses, and parvovirus have all been associated with human T1D. Indeed, the effects of diverse viruses in triggering T1D may explain the heterogeneous nature of disease onset and kinetics in the general population.