Peripheral blood biomarkers of cell-specific autoimmunity. Studies in children at increased risk for type 1 diabetes.
Objective While the incidence of children suffering from autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D) is increasing in Sweden and worldwide, the underlying etiology and cellular mechanisms behind this remain unknown. The predisposition of the high-risk HLA DR-DQ genotype and as yet unknown environmental triggers lead to autoimmunity and the onset of T1D, which is preceded by islet beta-cell autoantibodies a