Genetic factors and environmental factors are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus Type 1. Viruses, as one environmental factor, may act as primary injurious agents to beta cells or as triggering agents for autoimmunity. Some viruses such as EMC-D and Coxsackie B4 can induce Type 1 diabetes by infecting and destroying beta cells in genetically susceptible mice. In addition, certain species of monkey, such as Patas, show elevated blood glucose levels and depressed insulin secretion after infection with Coxsackie B4 virus. An occasional case of Type 1 diabetes mellitus appears to be associated with the infection of beta cells with Coxsackie B viruses. In addition, Coxsackie B4 virus may also generate viral antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells which may cross-react with a beta cell-specific autoantigen leading to autoimmune Type 1 diabetes. In the case of viral triggering of autoimmune Type 1 diabetes, certain viruses (eg, retrovirus in NOD mice and rubella virus in hamsters and humans) may alter a normally existing beta cell antigen into an immunogenic form or might induce a new antigen, leading to beta cell-specific autoimmune insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. In addition, other viruses (eg, Kilham's rat virus in DR-BB rats) could generate antigen-specific T effector cells which may cross-react with a beta cell-specific autoantigen. In contrast to the induction of diabetes, viruses can prevent the development of diabetes. Inoculation of DP-BB or NOD mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus reduced the incidence of diabetes or prevented the disease by disordering particular lymphocyte subsets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)