[New discoveries on the etiology of type 1 diabetes--an example of molecular epidemiology]

During the past decade the incidence of type 1 diabetes has been on the increase in Sweden, as it has in many other Western countries. The paper consists in a review of new hypothesis as to the pathogenesis of disease, resulting from findings in intensive molecular, genetic, immunological and epidemiological studies. Reversal of the rising trend in the incidence of type 1 diabetes is dependent upon further detailed elucidation of the molecular biology of the genetic and immunological markers of the disease, and their predictive value in population based studies. The currently identified risk factors, which may be initiators or promoters of diabetes pathogenesis, also need to be further elucidated, for which purpose a molecular epidemiological strategy is recommended, as it has already been found to be a successful approach in studies of type 1 diabetes.