As compared to healthy subjects, an impaired cytolytic activity of IL-2-activated NK cells from patients with T1D towards infected beta cells was observed which suggests that a defective viral clearance by NK cells of patients with T1D may play a role in the persistence of enteroviruses reported in these patients and thus in the viral pathogenesis of T1D [31]. This evidence concerns the gene IL2 and type 1 diabetes mellitus.