Type 1 diabetes epidemic in Finland is triggered by zinc-containing amorphous silica nanoparticles
Introduction
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a disease in which the beta cells in the islets of pancreas are destroyed and there is total lack of insulin in the patients system. T1D is an autoimmune disease. Patients own immunologic system destroys the beta cells. As a rule the disease is diagnosed before the age of 15 years. Large epidemiological data concerning T1D has been collected in Europe longer time than in USA. At global level the incidence and prevalence of T1D varies greatly. It can be found about 350-fold variation in T1D incidence among different countries [1].
The incidence of T1D has been increasing throughout the world for decades. In Finland the incidence of T1D is highest in the world and it has increased 4.5-fold from the early 1950s [2]. In Sardinia the incidence of T1D is almost as high as in Finland (in Finland about 60 cases per 100,000 per year, in Sardinia about 40 cases per 100,000 per year). In the neighboring countries of Finland the incidence is about one-third that of Finland [1].
T1D breaks out in some of the children who has a genetic susceptibility to T1D [3]. However only 1 of 15–20 with HLA conferred susceptibility progresses to the clinical disease [2]. It is obvious that besides the genetic susceptibility some environmental factor(s) are needed for disease to develop. In spite of tremendous research, the progress in the field of environmental factor(s) or trigger(s) has been limited. More success has been achieved in the field of genetics and in the knowledge of the function of immune system [1].
I think that we have enough knowledge to resolve the T1D enigma in Finland. A good guideline in resolving the enigma is what Milton Terris wrote: “Epidemiology must draw upon and synthesize knowledge from the biological sciences of man and of his parasites, from the numerous sciences of the physical environment and from the sciences concerned with human society”.
Section snippets
Characteristic features of Finnish environment (soil and water environment)
Up to now T1D research has not analyzed the special features of Finnish environment. The last glaciation came to an end in Finland about 10,000 years ago. Earth’s crust had been sank under the ice sheet especially around the Gulf of Bothnia (the northern long gulf of the Baltic Sea). When ice smelted the land began to uplift and the uplift continues still. Most of Finland is therefore the ancient sea and lake bottom (there is also in the post-glacial development of the Baltic Sea the 1800 year
Changes in the social environment after World War II in Finland
Significant changes in the water distribution has been taken place after the 1940’s. Before that time in the countryside the drinking water was taken from the own wells. The wells had been dug as a rule into moraine or clayed ground. After the 1940’s the municipal water distribution has become prevalent. Raw water is taken from the sandy aquifers which however often get water from near located lake or pond (synclinal aquifers). These sandy aquifers are often so called concealed eskers, sandy
Unique zinc
Zinc (Zn) participates in many biological reactions. Zinc has many unique properties that make it suitable for many functions that are essential part of the life [10]. Because Zn is spectroscopically silent the significance of Zn in metabolic processes was understood much later than e.g. iron. Zn does not undergo easily oxidation or reduction reactions. The most significant feature of Zn is it’s flexible coordination geometry. Zn coordinates both tetrahedrally (coordination number 4) and
Hypothesis
T1D is an autoimmune disease that precipitates in genetically susceptible individuals by environmental trigger(s). In Finland the environmental trigger is colloidal ASi into whom Zn is adsorbed as tetrahedral coordination complex (ASiZn). Zn functions as an address label for ASiZn to gain access into the beta cell. It is known that the functions of transporter proteins, receptor proteins and various channels is based more on the coordination state of the transported material than the size of
Observations that support the hypothesis
- 1.
Autoantibodies. Almost all T1D patients have autoantibodies against zinc transporter ZnT8 [1]. ZnT8 is zinc transporter specific to beta cells [15]. Another common autoantibody in T1D, ICA512/IA-2 is directed towards tyrosine phosphatase like intrinsic membrane protein of secretory granules in the beta cells [16]. This protein is homologous to the receptor type protein tyrosine phosphatase. Zinc regulates the function of this protein in picomolar concentrations [17]. This protein participates
Discussion
Nanotechnology has developed rapidly in recent years. Titanium dioxide and silica dioxide nanoparticles (Si in the form of either crystalline or amorphous one) are used as food additives and in cosmetics. Asi nanoparticles are also used in drug delivery devices and in gene therapy. Therefore it is surprising how little attention naturally occurring nanoparticles in the surrounding has received. ASi is typical for many soils and waters in the northern hemisphere. Many autoimmune diseases are
Funding
No grants.
Conflict of interest
None declared.
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