Culture and phenotype of activated T-cells from patients with type I diabetes mellitus.
Blood T-cells from 28 patients with type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes (IDDM) of variable duration were examined for the Tac antigen by immunofluorescence, and for proliferation in the presence of interleukin 2 (IL 2). The mean percentage of Tac+ cells in patients whose IDDM was of less than 2-yr duration was 6.2% compared with 2% in patients whose IDDM was of 3 or more years' duration, or in healthy controls. The percentage of Tac+ cells in the patients' blood correlated positively with the amount of thymidine uptake in a 24-h culture of blood mononuclear cells and with the percentage of T-cell blasts generated in a 6-day culture. The patients' T-cell blasts stained with OKT 4 or OKT 8, suggesting that each of these subsets is present in the activated T-cell population in the patients' blood. The T-cell blasts did not show specificity for pork insulin in an antigen restimulation assay. There was no correlation between increased Tac+ cells and the presence or absence of islet cell antibodies. If T-cell activation in IDDM occurs as a result of recognition of islet cell antigens, our results suggest that both HLA-DR-restricted (OKT 4+) and A-, B-, and C-restricted (OKT 8+) T-cell subsets contribute.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D000906:Antibodies; D006680:HLA Antigens; D007328:Insulin; D007376:Interleukin-2