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Viruses in the Human Pancreas

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Diabetes and Viruses

Abstract

There is extensive epidemiological evidence highlighting a possible ­aetiological role for enteroviral infection in type 1 diabetes. Direct evidence of the presence of enterovirus in the pancreatic islets of type 1 diabetics is, however, limited, due mainly to the paucity of samples from patients diagnosed recently with the disease. This chapter summarises the evidence implicating enteroviral infection in the human pancreas in type 1 diabetes and considers both factors indicating the presence of virus (viral capsid protein, electron microscopic visualisation of viral particles or expression of viral RNA) and the host response to a viral infection (a “viral footprint”). The relationship of these two indicators of viral infection with two apparently different forms of type 1 diabetes (autoimmune versus fulminant) is discussed. It is hypothesised that differing host responses, and perhaps different genetic variation among the viruses involved, may determine whether an enteroviral infection of beta cells causes (1) A rapid lytic cell death—characteristic of fulminant type 1 diabetes and neonatalcoxsackievirus infection, (2) A persistent infection which evokes an autoimmune reaction to beta cells, eventually resulting in their destruction—autoimmune type 1 diabetes, (3) h little host response and little damage.

Overall, it is concluded that the evidence for viral involvement is persuasive but that there is still a long way to go in order to elucidate the precise role of enteroviral infections in the aetiology of type 1 diabetes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, Plymouth, PL6 8BU, UK

    S. J. Richardson Ph.D., A. Willcox Ph.D. & N. G. Morgan Ph.D.

  2. School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Moulescoomb, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK

    A. J. Bone Ph.D.

  3. Department of Pathology, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, G4 OSF, UK

    A. K. Foulis M.D.

Authors
  1. S. J. Richardson Ph.D.
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  2. A. Willcox Ph.D.
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  3. A. J. Bone Ph.D.
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  4. N. G. Morgan Ph.D.
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  5. A. K. Foulis M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. J. Richardson Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dent, Centre for Diabetes & Metabolic Medicine, Institute of Cell & Molecular Science, n/a, London, E1 2AT, United Kingdom

    Keith Taylor

  2. Tampere University Hospital, Department of Virology, University of Tampere, n/a, Tampere, 33520, Finland

    Heikki Hyöty

  3. University of Insubria & Ospedale di Cir, Varese, Italy

    Antonio Toniolo

  4. University College London Medical School, n/a, London, NW3 2PF, United Kingdom

    Arie J. Zuckerman

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Richardson, S.J., Willcox, A., Bone, A.J., Morgan, N.G., Foulis, A.K. (2013). Viruses in the Human Pancreas. In: Taylor, K., Hyöty, H., Toniolo, A., Zuckerman, A. (eds) Diabetes and Viruses. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4051-2_17

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