Cytotoxic activity in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
We determined the percentage of circulating natural killer (NK) cells, using the monoclonal antibodies anti-CD57 and anti-CD16, NK cytotoxic activity (lytic units/10(6)) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity in 25 IDDM patients aged 3-23 years, 12 with disease for < 1 year (Group I) and 13 with disease for > 3 years (Group II). Nine age-matched healthy subjects served as controls. The percentage of CD57+ cells was similar in IDDM patients and controls, while the percentage of CD16+ cells was lower in IDDM patients (P < 0.05) than in controls. NK cell cytotoxic activity was lower in IDDM patients than in controls (P < 0.01), in Group I and II compared with controls (P < 0.005). LAK activity was similar in IDDM patients and in controls. No correlation was found between NK cytotoxic activity and metabolic control, HLA typing, while a negative correlation was found between NK cytotoxic activity and insulin requirement (P < 0.05). The decreased NK cytotoxic activity observed in our patients, in particular in long-standing diabetics, with normal NK cell number, could be due to a qualitative defect of the NK cells, or to a deficient IL-2 and/or TNF-alpha production, or to a immunomodulatory or immunosuppressing effect of insulin.
Lorini
R
R
Department of Paediatrics, University of Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Italy.
Moretta
A
A
Valtorta
A
A
d'Annunzio
G
G
Cortona
L
L
Vitali
L
L
Bozzola
M
M
Severi
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000097:blood*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values; D013997:Time Factors
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D001323:Autoantibodies; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D017452:Receptors, IgG; C024211:islet cell antibody