Enterovirus variants in the serum of children at the onset of Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

This study re-emphasizes that a link exists between enteroviral infection and the onset of Type 1 DM, particularly at a very early age, and suggests that these viruses are aetiologically important in diabetes in a significant proportion of children.

The prevalence of enteroviral capsid protein vp1 immunostaining in pancreatic islets in human type 1 diabetes

“…vp1 staining in islets was found in~10% of non-diabetic controls of all ages. This is consistent with studies showing that 4-5% of normal children had enteroviral RNA in their serum [4,7,8] and 11.8% had enteroviral RNA present in faecal samples [34,35]. Since a range of enteroviruses can infect human islets in vitro [12,36,37] it is possible that the pancreas is frequently colonised during an enteroviral infection.…”

“…Much of the evidence is circumstantial [1] but includes observations that antibodies against common Coxsackie B enteroviruses (CVB) and enteroviral RNA occur more frequently in the circulation of recent-onset type 1 diabetes patients than in controls [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].…”

The role of viruses in human diabetes

“…In a later study from the same laboratory broadly similar results were obtained with a much larger patient group of 110 children younger than 15 years of age and 180 control children matched for age and geographical area [29]. Positivity was especially noted in younger children at the onset of their diabetes.…”

“…In a later study from the same group, 110 children with diabetes were studied at the onset of their disease for enterovirus sequences and the non-translated portion of the genome were further analysed after amplification which suggested that viruses found in the diabetic children were distributed throughout the echo and coxsackie groups based on affinities between the structure of groups [29]. Studies from a small group in France gave similar results [30].…”

“…Non-insulin dependent diabetic patients were negative for enteroviruses when tested in this system. [30] 1997 whole blood adults coxsackie B3B4 [29] 1999 serum children younger than 15 years of age coxsackie B viruses and echoviruses [23] 2000 whole blood children and adults coxsackie B2B3B4 [34] 2000 serum prediabetic children not determined [35] 2000 serum prediabetic children not determined [33] 2000 serum diabetic children - [31] 2001 mononuclear cells diabetic children coxsackie B4B5 cells enterovirus infection has been associated with the onset of insulin requiring diabetes. In an earlier review of 11 such cases who were mainly children, all six coxsackie viruses were implicated.…”