Resumo

CRUZ RAMIREZ, Alieski; RODRIGUEZ MARIN, Yoima  e  BELLO RIVERO, Iraldo. Interferon alpha and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Rev Cubana Endocrinol [online]. 2013, vol.24, n.3, pp. 279-296. ISSN 1561-2953.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease characterized by destruction of the pancreatic beta cells due to a specific autoimmune response to these cells that is determined by the interaction between the genetic susceptibility and poorly defined environmental factors. Interferon alpha plays an important role as mediator of the inborn and the adaptive immune response of the body and its close relation with virus infection and onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus has been observed. The occurrence of natural to anti-interferon alpha auto-antibodies has called the attention of the international scientific community in the last few decades and this is an event present in roughly 10 % of patients with any autoimmune disease such as type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, the information on frequency, specificity, immunoreactivity and physiopathological role of this event is scanty in general. This article described recent evidence on the characteristics of anti-interferon alpha autoantibodies and approached to their possible physiopathological role in the development of autoimmune diseases. Additionally, it discussed the molecular bases of type 1 diabetes mellitus and particularly, the association between this disease and the viral infections, which may unleash a significant local response in terms of interferon alpha production.

Palavras-chave : type 1 diabetes mellitus; autoantibodies; interferon alpha (INF-a), autoimmunity.

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