Thursday, August 6, 2009

What cause Type 1 Diabetes

Nowadays, doctors know HOW Type 1 diabetes occurs but they do not know WHY Type 1 diabetes occurs. No one is yet sure what prompts the autoimmune response specifically that destroys the body’s ability to create insulin. Most scientists and doctors suggested that the combination of a genetic predisposition to diabetes that is triggered by an unknown environmental factor is the best guesses. Besides, autoimmune response and viruses are also the cause of Type 1 diabetes.


Genetics
According to some researchers, there is a definite link drawn between Type 1 Diabetes and a person’s genetic makeup. Some people might bear with developing Type 1 Diabetes. It is found that there are at least 18 genetic locations, labeled IDDM1-IDDM18 that is related to Type 1 Diabetes. The region of IDDM1 contains HLA genes which encode proteins named as major histocompatibailty complex. These genes affect the immune response.

Type 1 diabetes is not an inherited disease yet only a few people with a genetic predisposition to Type 1 Diabetes actually end up getting it. To some researches, there are only 10% developing Type 1 Diabetes if a first-degree relative has diabetes. Even in identical twins, there is only a 33% chance of developing Type 1 Diabetes if another twin has it. Children are more likely to inherit the disease from a father with Type 1 diabetes than from a mother with it.

Till now, genetic factors cannot be fully explained the development of Diabetes. The incidence of Type 1 Diabetes has undergone a major increase in certain European countries and the incidence has nearly tripled undergone in the northeastern United States over the past 30 years. Researchers stated that there is such an increase in cases at least 400 years if Genetic is the only cause of Type 1 Diabetes.

Autoimmune Response
Patients with Type 1 Diabetes are more likely to suffer from autoimmune problems. Type 1 Diabetes is usually named as a progressive autoimmune disease in which the insulin produced by the beta cells is slowly destroyed by the body’s own immune system. No one knows what first starts this cascade of immune events yet there are some evidences suggest that both genetic predisposition and environmental factors are involved.

Insulitis the progression from the first stage to full-blown diabetes can take more than 7 years. Unfortunately, while a person is aware that there is something wrong and visit the doctor with symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes, he/she might get 80-90% of the beta cells have been destroyed. However, more than half of patients with insulitis do not develop diabetes, which is an interesting research for the researchers to discover.

Besides, thyroid disease or celiac disease is one of the autoimmune problems to the patients. Thyroid disease causes the body use energy more or less quickly than it should while celiac disease causes the lining of the small intestine attacked by the immune system whenever the person eats gluten.

Environmental Triggers Viruses & Toxins
Some certain evidences showed that one or more viral infections may trigger the disease in genetically susceptible individuals. It is suggested that a viral protein that resembles a beta cells protein is introduced by an infection and this resemblance tricked the T cells and antibodies into attacking the beta protein as well as the virus.

Viruses under scrutiny are determined as enteric viruses which attack the intestinal tract. As well as mumps and congenital rubella, Epidemics of Coxsackie virus, one of the family of enteric viruses of particular interest, have been associated with incidence of Type 1 Diabetes.

Other researchers believe that the trigger is actually some sort of toxins in the environment. The toxin bacteria in the soil are blamed by some theory under investigation. These bacteria infest vegetables which are eaten by people genetically predisposed to Type 1 Diabetes. The pancreatic beta cells are attacked and an autoimmune reaction that targets to the beta cells is developed.

It is crystal clear that there is much more that needs to be learned before the medical community can begin to know the causes of and the ways to prevent Type 1 Diabetes. At this moment, what you should do is to get an early diagnosis and follow the right insulin-replacing treatment plan to have a normal and better life.

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