The impact of maternal infection or immunization on early-onset autoimmune diabetes.

Maternal immune responses exert short and long-term influences on the newborn immune system. The transfer of maternal antibodies helps the newborn controlling infectious agents that are prevalent in the population. Furthermore, recent studies indicate that the fetus is able to mount inflammatory and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in the course of maternal infections. Herein, we discuss the relevance of these observations to the possible relation between maternal infection or immunization and childhood-onset autoimmune diabetes.