title: Pancreatic islet-cell damage in children with fatal viral infections.
abstract: The pancreases from 250 children with fatal infections caused by at least fourteen different viruses were examined for lesions in the islets of Langerhans. Viral cytopathology was found in 4 of 7 cases of Coxsackievirus B infection, 20 of 45 cases of cytomegalovirus infection, 2 of 14 cases of varicella-zoster infection, and 2 of 45 cases of congenital rubella. Destruction of beta cells and acute and chronic inflammatory infiltrates were found in islets from cases with Coxsackievirus B infections. Characteristic inclusion bodies were observed in islets from cases with cytomegalovirus and varicella-zoster infections. This survey provides further evidence that some viruses can infect and damage human beta cells.
mesh_terms: D001102:Arbovirus Infections / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000473:pathology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007181:Inclusion Bodies, Viral / Q000382:microbiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology; D011213:Poxviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology; D010253:Respirovirus Infections / Q000473:pathology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000473:pathology*