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Role of Autoimmunity in Endocrine Disorders The immune system offers protection to the body against the invasion by harmful microbes and foreign materials. All cells carry protein markers. The protein markers convey useful information on whether the cell belongs to the body or the cell is foreign. If the immune system cells are functioning properly, they do not attack the cells belonging to the body. However, the immune system cells are unable to distinguish the cells belonging to the body from the invader cells in the event of autoimmunity. As a result, the cells belonging to the body are subjected to the same destructive operation exercised against the invader cells such as bacteria and viruses. Type 1 diabetes is a derivative of the attack of the immune system of the beta cells found in the pancreas and that play a part in the secretion of insulin. Even though the mechanism behind the immune system destroying the beta cells is not clearly known, several hypotheses have been advanced to explain the occurrence of type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes has been observed to run in families that suggest a link between the disorder and genetic tendency (Atkinson, Eisenbarth & Michels, 2014). The occurrence of type 1 diabetes has also been linked to viral infection. The immune system is activated during a viral infection to destroy infectious viral particles (Atkinson, Eisenbarth & Michels, 2014). In the event of an autoimmunity disorder, the immune system cells are also activated against the beta cells during their activation against the invader cells. Coxsackie and rubella viruses are some of the viruses that have been observed to trick the immune system into destroying
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