Type 1 diabetes caused by cross-targeting autoimmunity?

Type one diabetes appears to have multiple infections that fit the profile but the common theme will be that the cross-targeting occurs at the pancreas.

Infection culprits:
Celiac disease can be linked to the dimorphic E. coli. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8660085 Celiac disease has been linked to type one diabetes.

 Candida has also been linked to type one diabetes. Candida is also dimorphic shifting between a yeast and mold form.

Aspergillus has also been linked to type 1 diabetes. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23625788

These infections have insulin related materials that could produce the anti-insulin antibodies that are seen in the precursor stage of Type 1 diabetes
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3933801 

In the case of RA and type 1 diabetes: mycoplasmas infect cells including the pancreas.  anti-insulin antiboides do not even have to develop in this case. If the mycoplasmas infect the pancreatic cells and then a virus does....cross targeting can occur.   


Viral infection culprits:
Coxsackie causes the pancreas to be a focus
http://www.bioscience.org/1997/v2/e/ramsingh/ramsingh.pdf

The flu virus incubates, replicates and causes the pancreas to be a focus
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23097451