Zonulin, an intestinal tight junction modulator, is involved in the pathogenesis of type I diabetes

Purpose: We have previously showed that zonulin-dependent increase in intestinal permeability precedes the autoimmune process in the BB/Wor animal model of type 1 diabetes. Aims of our study were to verify the association between serum zonulin level and in vivo intestinal permeability in patients with type1 diabetes and their relatives and to investigate zonulin serum level in different stages of the autoimmune process.