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Enteroviruses and type 1 diabetes: towards a better understanding of the relationship
Author(s) -
Jaïdane Hela,
Sauter Pierre,
Sane Famara,
Goffard Anne,
Gharbi Jawhar,
Hober Didier
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
reviews in medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.06
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1654
pISSN - 1052-9276
DOI - 10.1002/rmv.647
Subject(s) - coxsackievirus , enterovirus , pathogenesis , type 1 diabetes , diabetes mellitus , immunology , disease , epidemiology , autoantibody , in vivo , biology , medicine , virology , virus , antibody , endocrinology , genetics
Environmental factors, especially viruses, are involved in the initiation or the acceleration of type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis. Epidemiological data strongly suggest that enteroviruses, such as coxsackievirus B4 (CV‐B4), can be associated with T1D. It has been demonstrated that enterovirus infections were significantly more prevalent in at risk individuals, such as siblings of diabetic patients, when they developed anti‐ β ‐cell autoantibodies or T1D, and in recently diagnosed diabetic patients, compared with control subjects. The isolation of CV‐B4 from the pancreas of diabetic patients strengthened the hypothesis of a relationship between the virus and the disease. Studies performed in vitro and in vivo in animal models helped to discover mechanisms of the infection of pancreas and other tissues, potentially able to play a role in the pathogenesis of T1D. Interestingly, it cannot be excluded that enteroviruses behave as half‐devil half‐angel since experimental studies suggest that, in certain conditions, these agents would be able to protect individuals against the disease. All of the plausible mechanisms by which enterovirus may be related to T1D will be reviewed here. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.