title: Role of immune system in type 1 diabetes mellitus pathogenesis.
abstract: The immune system is the body's natural defense system against invading pathogens. It protects the body from infection and works to communicate an individual's well-being through a complex network of interconnected cells and cytokines. This system is an associated host defense. An uncontrolled immune system has the potential to trigger negative complications in the host. Type 1 diabetes results from the destruction of pancreatic β-cells by a β-cell-specific autoimmune process. Examples of β-cell autoantigens are insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase, tyrosine phosphatase, and insulinoma antigen. There are many autoimmune diseases, but type 1 diabetes mellitus is one of the well-characterized autoimmune diseases. The mechanisms involved in the β-cell destruction are still not clear; it is generally believed that β-cell autoantigens, macrophages, dendritic cells, B lymphocytes, and T lymphocytes are involved in the β-cell-specific autoimmune process. It is necessary to determine what exact factors are causing the immune system to become unregulated in such a manner as to promote an autoimmune response.
authors.affiliation: General Biology and Parasitology, Center of Biostructure Research, Medical University of Warsaw, 5 Chalubinskiego Str., 02-004 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: leszek.szablewski@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Szablewski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D007328:Insulin / Q000276:immunology; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006680:HLA Antigens; D007328:Insulin; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase
keywords: Diabetes mellitus; HLA; Immunity; Leukocytes