[Type 1 diabetes mellitus--an infectious disease?]

Rubella infection in utero is associated with a high risk of later development of type 1 diabetes. The mechanism is still unclear although the balance between the so-called Th1 and Th2 immune response seems to be important. Whether viral infections are involved in the pathogenesis of the common type of immune mediated type 1 diabetes is still unclear. Prospective serological investigations suggest a higher frequency of enteroviral infections in utero or in early childhood in children later developing type 1 diabetes. There is a need for confirmatory investigations of these observations especially with regard to demonstration of viral genome.