Autoimmunity and viral infection in diabetes mellitus.

Forty-three newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetics and thirty control subjects have been examined for cellular hypersensitivity to different pancreatic preparations, rat liver mitochondria and Coxsackie B4 virus. Evidence for cellular hypersensitivity to the pancreatic preparations was shown in the diabetic group, in whom the hypersensitivity to the pancreatic preparations was found to correlate with hypersensitivity to rat liver mitochondria. Hypersensitivity to Coxsackie B4 virus was not found to differ significantly in the diabetic and control groups. Hypersensitivity to liver mitochondria appeared to decrease over a 1-year period. There was an indication that hypersensitivity to Coxsackie B4 was greatest 3 months after diagnosis.