Diabetes mellitus Tipo 1 y artritis reumatoide: nexo fisiopatológico.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) tends to coexist with other autimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As both have autoimmune origins, the possibility exists that their pathophysiologic pathways connect at some point to explain their close association. Their relationship may have a predominant directionality from DM1 to RA, or it may be bidirectional, as a large population of individuals with RA spend time without being diagnosed with DM1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Likewise, it has been proposed that coexistence of autoimmune diseases in certain families may lend to a certain genetic predisposition for the development of both conditions. The objective of this review is to revise the pathophysiological and genetic mechanisms that connect DM1 and RA, in order to have a clear understanding of how they are connected, and how to act upon this in order to improve patients' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]