Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus Hypothesis of Autoimmunity

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus, a disorder of hyperglycemia recognized for centuries by its classical symptoms of polyuria and polydipsia, affects about 5% of the population in Western nations. Among many diabetic syndromes now recognized, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM, Type I) and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM, Type II) are by far the most common¹. IDDM accounts for ≊ 10% of all cases of diabetes and characteristically appears in children, whereas NIDDM is primarily a disorder of obese adults. A growing consensus supports the hypothesis that IDDM is a disorder of autoimmunity^2-4. Evidence supporting this view falls into several broad categories.