Preferred Label : Type I Diabetes Mellitus Pathway;
NCIt related terms : Type I diabetes mellitus;
Alternative definition : KEGG: Type I diabetes mellitus is a disease that results from autoimmune destruction
of the insulin-producing beta-cells. Certain beta-cell proteins act as autoantigens
after being processed by antigen-presenting cell (APC), such as macrophages and dendritic
cells, and presented in a complex with MHC-II molecules on the surface of the APC.
Then immunogenic signals from APC activate CD4 T cells, predominantly of the Th1
subset. Antigen-activated Th1 cells produce IL-2 and IFNgamma. They activate macrophages
and cytotoxic CD8 T cells, and these effector cells may kill islet beta-cells by
one or both of two types of mechanisms: (1) direct interactions of antigen-specific
cytotoxic T cells with a beta-cell autoantigen-MHC-I complex on the beta-cell, and
(2) non-specific inflammatory mediators, such as free radicals/oxidants and cytokines
(IL-1, TNFalpha, TNFbeta, IFNgamma).;