title: Paratuberculosis and Type I diabetes: is this the trigger?
abstract: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease. The etiology of T1DM is incompletely understood but environmental agent(s) are thought to trigger T1DM in the genetically at risk. Exposure to cow's milk early in life is a recognized risk factor in the development of T1DM. Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the cause of bovine Johne's disease and also is thought to act as an immune antigen in Crohn's disease and other granulomatous diseases. MAP is shed in cow's milk and has been shown to survive pasteurization. Genetic susceptibilities, epitope homologies and epidemiologic studies are presented that support MAP as a causative agent of T1DM in the genetically at risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin, 600 Highland Avenue Madison, WI 53792, United States. ctdow@wisc.edu
authors.forename: C Thomas
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Dow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002417:Cattle; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D000939:Epitopes; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D018448:Models, Immunological; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D010283:Paratuberculosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes