Diagnosis and treatment of pre-insulin dependent diabetes.

The development of genetic and serological markers of autoimmune Type I diabetes has allowed us to begin to identify subjects at risk for the development of Type I diabetes. Assessment of these variables can assign risk to subjects and permit the implementation of immune intervention trials in an attempt to alter the course of pre-diabetes. This review discusses relevant aspects of the genetics and diagnosis of pre-diabetes, and both current and future clinical trials that are attempting to prevent the full expression of clinical diabetes in these individuals.