title: Circulating dendritic cell number and intracellular TNF-α production in women with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Human dendritic cell (DC) subsets perform specialized functions for surveillance against bacterial and viral infections essential for the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) by DCs acts in autocrine fashion to regulate DC maturation and promotes the inflammatory response. This study was designed to compare circulating DC number and intracellular TNF-α production between post-menopausal women with T2D and healthy women. Blood samples were obtained (n = 21/group) and examined for plasma glucose and TNF-α concentrations, and dendritic cell subset immunophenotype (plasmacytoid, pDC, CD85k(ILT-3)(+)CD123(+)CD16(-)CD14(-) and myeloid, mDC, CD85k(ILT-3)(+)CD33(+)CD123(dim to neg)CD16(-)CD14(dim to neg)). Intracellular production of TNF-α was determined in unstimulated and stimulated DCs. Women with T2D had significantly (P < 0.05) greater plasma glucose and TNF-α concentrations when compared to healthy women. Women with T2D having poor glycemic control (T2D Poor Control, HbA1c ≥ 7%) had fewer circulating pDCs than women with T2D having good glycemic control (T2D Good Control, HbA1c < 7%) and healthy women. A significant interaction (P = 0.011) was observed between the effects of plasma glucose and group for intracellular expression of TNF-α in stimulated pDCs. Intracellular production of TNF-α in pDCs was significantly greater in healthy vs. T2D Poor Control (P < 0.0001) and T2D Good Control (P < 0.0001) but did not differ between T2D subgroups. The mDC number and intracellular production of TNF-α did not differ between groups. These findings indicate that TNF-α production by pDCs was reduced in women with T2D and circulating number of pDCs was associated with glycemic control.
authors.affiliation: Program in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Washington State University, PO Box 1495, Spokane, WA 99210-1495, USA. seblank@wsu.edu
authors.forename: Sally E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Blank
authors.forename: Emily Carolyn
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Debra K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.forename: Carol H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wysham
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha