Assessment of viral and immune factors in EMC virus-induced diabetes: effects of cyclosporin A and interferon.

EMC virus-induced diabetes in mice may be a model of human type I diabetes. It is postulated that auto-immune reaction plays a role in beta cell destruction after viral aggression. The use of anti-viral (interferon) or immunosuppressive drugs (Cyclosporin A) could contribute to an understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetes in this model. Early or late administration of cyclosporin A increased mortality and frequency of diabetes in female mice and did not influence these parameters in males despite a reduction of pancreatic inflammatory lesions. Interferon administered at the time of virus inoculation diminished mortality in both sexes and frequency of diabetes in males. These results are against an autoimmune pathogenesis for diabetes in this model and suggest that the virus plays the major role in beta cell damage.