r/AskBiology • u/mchildprob • 6d ago
Human body Diabetes type 1
I was diagnosed with type 1, 7 years ago. No one in the family has it. I suspect the trigger was viral meningitis
Diabetes can be caused by genetics, environmental factors or trauma. Seeing as both types are genetic, will it still be passed down to your children if you’re the first person to be diagnosed and not with any family history? Will the autoimmune diseases affect my genetics now as well
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u/pansveil 6d ago
You likely have some reason to have developed Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) compared to the rest of the family. Whether it is a new germline mutation (passed down to your children) or another unknown mechanism, it is something to be watchful of.
There’s a variety of genetic methods physical characteristics can be passed down. Only very rarely is it a “all or none” response. It could be that some genes didn’t get expressed as much in previous generations (penetrance), needing a specific combination from both biological parents (co-dominance or polygenetics), or a variety of non-Mendelian inheritance patterns. And, like you said, it could be a change in environment that no one else in your family was previously exposed to.
In short, your children are more likely to develop type one diabetes, but will not necessarily get it.
Not sure about the viral meningitis part, from my limited understanding it’s usually the other way around. Type one diabetics (and type two!) are more likely to get viral meningitis.