Although DCs from pediatric patients with T1D were found to have impaired phagocytosis in correlation with disease progression, DCs from patients at onset and with established disease showed similar expression of PS receptors (CD36, CD68, and MERTK), except for MFGE8. Interestingly, DCs from patients with established disease had a decreased MFGE8 expression, and this defect could contribute to the herein reported phagocytosis impairment. This evidence concerns the gene MERTK and type 1 diabetes mellitus.