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Show Virus Infections May Cause Diabetes in Some One of tho most interesting developments in diabetes research re-search this past year is the possibility that certain virus infections may play a role In causing diabetes In susceptible suscep-tible individuals. While the evidence for a causal relation between viruses and diabetes is still largely circumstantial it is nevertheless intriguing and very suggestive. This is tho fourth in a series of four articles on current research into tho causes of diabetes, now the nation's third leading cause of death. If viruses cause diabetes, and If autoimmunity is part of the explanation, the question still remains: why are some children more susceptible than others? And why do some children become diabetic dia-betic from the virus and others do not? At the moment, mo-ment, we don't even have any theories to answer that, but one very recent and fascinating fascinat-ing observation has been made both in Denmark and in the United States. It has to do with the same "surface antigens" anti-gens" mentioned earlier. Surface or tissue antigens are given identifying names or abbreviations. Two of these are called "HL-A 8a" and HL-A W15a." In the general population, the frequency of these two types is around 12. In other words, about 12 of all people have them. In a group of juvenile diabet- ics, however, the frequency of these two cell markers was over 85, and this is a significant difference between the two groups. Just as Rh blood types and ABO blood types are inherited from our parents, so are the HL-A antigens genetically transmitted. transmit-ted. It may be then that one might inherit "susceptibility" to diubetes rather than the diabetes itself. But, as you can tell, all the answers are not In yet. The prevention of diabetes is still a hope. Clearly, scientists scien-tists must first learn what causes diabetes before they can come up with its prevention. preven-tion. That prospect now seems closer if some virus can be implicated in causing certain cer-tain types of juvenile diabetes. diabe-tes. The virus could be isolated isola-ted and grown in culture. A 'vaccine could be developed. 'Susceptible" children could i be identified, and they could be immunized against the offending virus. It is not unrealistic hope, but much more work will have to be done before it is a reality. No review of this kind would be complete without mentioning other research areas. However, diabetes re- , search is very broad, very active and usually very com- plicated. The artificial beta cell is still not ready for human trial. Transplantation is still limited by our understanding of basic Immune processes. The seesaw see-saw roles of insulin and glucagon gluca-gon in diabetes have been confirmed and extended, es pecially in the human subject. The apparatus for tho vitrectomy vitrec-tomy procedure for advanced diabetic retinopathy has ben further refined. Progress has been made, although slow for those of us still awaiting the cure and prevention of diabetes in man. |