Linking Chronic Infection and Autoimmune Diseases: Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis, SLC11A1 Polymorphisms and Type-1 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

The 274C/T SCL11A1 polymorphism was found to be associated with T1DM as well as the presence of MAP DNA in blood. Since MAP persists within macrophages and it is also processed by dendritic cells, further studies are necessary to evaluate if mutant forms of SLC11A1 alter the processing or presentation of MAP antigens triggering thereby an autoimmune response in T1DM patients.