Diabetes Background

What is an autoimmune disease?
Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 is the scientific name given to the disease known infamously as diabetes. This is an autoimmune disease, or a disease in which the body or part of the body accidentally recognizes a fragment of itself as a foreign substance, activating the immune system to attack its own cells and tissue. In the instance of diabetes, the immune system repeats fatal attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This referred to as the autoimmune destruction of beta cells. To see more definitions of "autoimmune, click here.

What is a polygenic disease?
Aside from being caused by an autoimmune reaction, type 1 diabetes is also stimulated by various types of genes. Hence, it is referred to as a polygenic (poly= many) disease. A gene is a string of DNA that encodes a specific protein or RNA For example, there are genes for hair color, eye color, and abilities such as art and singing. There have been many discoveries, research efforts, and breakthroughs concerning the links between gene problems and diabetes.

What is insulin?
Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 is accepted around the world as a chronic (lifelong disease causing the pancreas' failure to produce an adequate insulin supply. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar, so not too much or too little sugar is in the blood. Insulin prevents diseases such as hyperglycemia (too much sugar) and hypoglycemia (too little blood sugar). Hormones are chemicals sent out by cells in one area that affect cells elsewhere in the body. For example, insulin, produced in the beta cells of the pancreas, is then transported through the bloodstream to all cells to regulate glucose (most basic form of sugar) levels. In diabetes type 1, however, insulin levels drop when beta cells die, resulting in increased blood sugar and urine glucose.

What is a beta cell?

The pancreas is a gland organ that produces several hormones as well as digestive enzymes. It is located just beneath the stomach adjacent to the duodenum (the first segment of the small intestine). The gland that is responsible for creating hormones is known as the endocrine gland. This gland is divided into hundreds of thousands of cell clusters called islets of Langerhans. Each islet contains the following cells: alpha cells, beta cells, delta cells, PP cells, and Epsilon cells. In diabetes, the beta cells are the victims of the autoimmune reaction. Beta cells produce insulin that travels throughout the body to regulate blood sugar. When they are destroyed, insulin levels drastically decrease, resulting in hyperglycemia. As insulin decreases in the body, the sugar, known as glucose, is unable to enter the cell, so it stays in the blood stream. This build up of sugar in the blood stream is very unhealthy for diabetes patients, and it causes them to furiously administer what and how they eat, which entails eating low-sugar food as well as regular intakes of insulin.To read more about beta cells, click on the words "beta cell" in the title of this paragraph.

What is a lymphocyte?

SEM photo of a lymphocyte

The autoimmune reaction that destroys beta cells is performed by the immune system, and more specifically, lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are part of a family of white blood cells and can be divided into two main groups, T cells and B cells. T cells include T Helper cells, Cytotoxic T cells, Natural Killer cells, Gamma Delta cells, etc. These are the lymphocytes suspected of the attack on beta cells. A lymphocyte's basic mission is to rid the body of foreign substances. In diabetes, they have mistaken pancreatic beta cells for a foreign substance and have begun destroying them. The reason lymphocytes destroy infected cells is because if the infected cell is destroyed, the virus will not be able to travel to more cells and multiply. Currently, there has not been an accepted cause as to why this reaction is occurring; I, myself, have come up with a few theories you may read later. This is the basis for discovering the cause of the lack of insulin supply. To read more about lymphocytes, click on the word "lymphocyte" in the title of this paragraph.



     This explanation of diabetes includes a virtual background of the A1C test, which will be explained later. Notice that later in this video, the narrator explains that the blood sugar level should be between 4 and 7 mmol/Liter. This is the same as the 4% to 7% range given by the graph from the 12/25/10 post. To view it, click here This video should give you another helpful, simple way of looking at diabetes. If you so choose, feel free to look at the other videos listed below after this is finished. My recommendations are the ones titled "Diabetes, Type 1, Type 2, Glucose, Insulin" and "What does Diabetes do?"


This has been a background information page for diabetes Mellitus Type 1. The previous information will give a basic understanding of the disease and help you keep up with my latest news. Thank you for reading.