Susceptibility
The susceptibility to IDDM is polygenic and environment exerts a strong effect on gene penetrances. Environment including housing conditions, health status, and diet all affect development of diabetes in the mice. For instance, NOD mice maintained in different laboratories can have different levels of incidence. Interestingly, the incidence of disease is much higher if the mice are maintained in a relatively germ-free environment.
NOD mice are also susceptible to developing other autoimmune syndromes, including autoimmunine sialitis, autoimmune thyroiditis, autoimmune peripheral polyneuropathy, a systemic lupus erythematosus-like disease that develops if mice are exposed to killed mycobacterium, and prostatitis.
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