Patient's question:
What is the meaning of saying that the causes or etiology of type 1 diabetes are immunity and genetics? Please explain, thank you!Doctor's answer:
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder syndrome caused by various pathogenic factors such as genetic factors, immune dysfunction, microbial infections and their toxins, free radical toxins, psychological factors, etc., acting on the body, leading to pancreatic dysfunction, insulin resistance, and a series of metabolic disorders involving sugar, protein, fat, water, and electrolytes. Clinically, it is primarily characterized by hyperglycemia.Recommendation: Immune factors, because in patients with type 1 diabetes, multiple autoantibodies can be detected in their blood, such as glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GAD antibodies) and islet cell antibodies (ICA antibodies). These abnormal autoantibodies can damage the body's insulin-producing B cells, impairing their ability to secrete insulin normally.
Genetic factors, current research suggests that genetic defects are the foundation of type 1 diabetes. This genetic defect is manifested in abnormal HLA antigens on human chromosome 6. Scientists' research indicates that type 1 diabetes has a familial occurrence pattern—if your parents have diabetes, you are more likely to develop the disease compared to those without this family history.