I have started asking some people that I know what virus caused the auto immune response that caused T1. I've been hearing a lot of odd ones. I have heard of Varicella( chicken pox) and Herpes simplex 1 or 2.
I had the standard and most common Coxsackie B.
Most people I ask don't know because it was not tested or the virus was gone by the time they were diagnosed.
I don't even know if it is even used anymore. I think they tested me because I was already 20 when I was diagnosed and perhaps it was how they determined I was type1 even though I was a beanpole at the time.
I fail to see the need for it more than a curiosity or in understanding the process in order to prevent it.
I think to some folks it's important that they know exactly what caused their diabetes.
Just looking at my tudiabetes "inbox" there is one guy who is convinced that his tooth fillings caused his diabetes and a different lady is convinced that it's an antibiotic her mother took during her preganncy that caused her diabetes. The inbox pleas seem to be folks who are desparately looking for some kind of common connection over what they feel is the most relevant part of their diabetes i.e. what caused it.
Nobody ever told me I was tested for any virus which may have caused it. The docs seemed to believe it was passed on from my father's side of the family, my paternal grandmother being a type 1 also. I would love to know the exact cause of diabetes in my case, out of curiousity.
There is no virus or vaccine to cause T1 diabetes. As T1 we have a problem with our immune system that is causing T-cells to attack our own tissue. These T-cells have been identified and Dr. Denise Faustman refers to them as rogue T-cells. These cells can cause all sorts of autoimmune problems: thyroid, rare skin conditions and more. This proneness to autoimmune reactions is actually the genetic condition that is passed in your family. If you look closely you will find relatives with odd conditions related to autoimmunity as well. At one time in the past our rogue T-cells started to attack the beta cells that produce the insulin. Often this happens at times when the immune system is challenged by other conditions (viruses etc). But the condition is just a trigger for a higher alertness of the immune system. This alertness causes the immune system to overreact to the threat. As a result some T-cells might find their way to the beta cells and start to kill them too (this is a very unlikely event, 20 new T1 diabetics in 100,000 people per year). It is assumed that deficits in vitamin D production might contribute to the beta cells being attacked. But the mechanics involved is not known yet. However researchers do see that the less daylight a country has the more likely T1 develops (daylight controls vitamin D production).
Dr. Denise Faustman has found the drug BCC. This drug has been found to be effective in regulating the misbehaving rogue T-cells. This means it acts as a moderator to regulate the immune response to normal levels. This might be effective in many immune conditions we know today. However regulating the T-cells is just one side of the problem. We know that these attacks happen daily because beta cells can naturally regrow. Still some of us have managed to preserve some of our beta cells (they help tremendously with the level of control we can achieve). The question is: can the residual beta-cells regrow when the attack has been stopped permanently? In the mouse model this can work but in humans this needs further studies and money of course. Last but not least the potential side effects of a permanent BCC administration to regulate the immune system needs to be investigated too.
Mine was triggered by chemotherapy. Not caused, triggered. I obviously had the genetic makeup for T1, or it wouldn't have happened. At this point though it honestly seems irrelevant - the day-to-day stuff is on my mind a lot more.
I think we know that an actual virus is not the single cause. Rather, for most people, T1 is a combination of something in the environment (likely a virus) along with specific genetics (multiple genes are likely involved in most cases, which is why it tends to run in families, but is not attributed to a single gene).
Actually the drug is called BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin). This is a weakened strain of bacteria that is used in the prevention of tuberculosis. The drug is known for more than 80 years.
Mine was Hashimoto's Thyroiditis!! Diagnosed with that 20 yrs ago and was told only 1% can become T1..Well, 24 yrs later I got that T1 diagnosis...My A1c was 4.9 8months prior to my diabetic coma and an a1C of 13.0
I was diagnosed with an Overactive Thyroid and T1 at the same time!! I still wonder which one actually started first. Was it the thyroid that kicked in the T1 or vise versa.
I'm a bit unusual in that I had hypothyroid (Graves disease) years before my Type 1. But I don't think either one causes the other; it's just common for people with one autoimmune condition to develop others. Someone more scientific than me can explain why that is.
Zoe,Holger did a great job above, explaining this. I do not think the cold I had the 2 weeks before diagnosis caused my Type 1 in 1968. Could it have "triggered" my already genetically compromised autoimmune system? Maybe. Who Knows? I doubt it. I am not that concerned about the "whys?",for me personally, at this time.
Good explnation of Dr.Faustman's premise and work as well, Holger.
I had an inflamed pancreas when I was about 8 years old. I was diagnosed Type 1 19 years later when I was pregnant. My doctor said at that time that if you're genetically predisposed to something, pregnancy can trigger it. I've often wondered how it all connected for me.
The year leading up to my diagnosis was one of the healthiest I can remember. No colds or other viral infections, no injuries, etc. Someone told me it must have been all the milk I drank. I just figured it was due to a strong family history.
Yes quite true, my family is riddled with auto-immune disorders, thyroid probs, arthritis etc. Your knowledge in a great asset to us on this site, thanks.
I was diagnosed in December 1962. We did not get virus innoculations. The only thing I ever got was chicken pox AFTER diagnosis. I truly think it is the individual characteristics of my body that did this.
I have never heard of this as a cause. What are your references?
Not a soul in my extended family tree has shown any type of auto-immune disease, I am the only one and know that 3 months before my diagnosis I had coxsackie B virus that triggered the immune response. My temp was up near 107 and my parents had to put me in an ice bath to bring it down. I don't remember any of this but that is what they say. And as Holger says, not only has BCG vaccine been around for more than 80 years it is routinely given now to prevent TB especially in countries where TB is prevalent. It is cheap and effective and therefore not something a drug company will investigate because they cannot make any money from it.
