Association of the M3151 variant in the transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor-1 (TRPV1) gene with type 1 diabetes in an Ashkenazi Jewish population.

Background: Type 1 diabetes in humans is an autoimmune disease in which Tcells target pancreatic islets of Langerhans, leading to the progressive destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of autoimmune diabetes. The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model of human type 1 diabetes demonstrates two missense mutations in the transient receptor potentialvanilloid receptor-1 (TRPVi) gene.