title: Inhibition of insulitis and prevention of diabetes in nonobese diabetic mice by blocking L-selectin and very late antigen 4 adhesion receptors.
abstract: Leukocyte adhesion to the endothelial venules in the pancreatic islets is thought to be one of the initial steps in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. It has been suggested that leukocyte adhesion to endothelium is a sequential multistep process involving various different homing receptors. We report here that blocking different homing receptors--namely, L-selectin and very late antigen 4 (VLA-4)--which function during different stages of the adhesion process, by specific monoclonal antibodies inhibits insulitis and prevents diabetes in mice. Moreover, leukocyte attachment to the inflamed vessels within pancreatic sections could be inhibited by anti-L-selectin and anti-VLA-4 antibodies. Interestingly, anti-L-selectin or anti-VLA-4 antibody did not appear to influence the autoimmune response to a panel of pancreatic beta-cell autoantigens. These data suggest that L-selectin and VLA-4 receptors are involved in mediating leukocyte homing to the islets and that intervention of these two adhesion pathways may provide a novel approach for treatment of autoimmune diseases such as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305-5402.
authors.forename: X D
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tisch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steinman
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: McDevitt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D019041:L-Selectin; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D016029:Receptors, Very Late Antigen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001324:Autoantigens; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016201:Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing; D016029:Receptors, Very Late Antigen; D019041:L-Selectin