Cellular interferon-γ and interleukin-13 immune reactivity in type 1, type 2 and latent autoimmune diabetes: action LADA 6.
OBJECTIVE
Type 1 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) are thought to result from immune-mediated β-cell destruction. It remains unclear why LADA is clinically less severe compared to type 1 diabetes. This study aimed to compare the pro-inflammatory (interferon-γ, IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory (interleukin-13, IL-13) T-cell responses in humans with LADA and type 1 diabetes.


METHODS
IFN-γ and IL-13 T-cell responses to a panel of 16 (auto)-antigens were tested using an enzyme linked immune-spot technique and peripheral T-cells from 35 patients with type 1 diabetes, 59 patients with type 2 diabetes, 23 LADA patients, and 42 control subjects.


RESULTS
LADA and type 1 diabetes patients did not display any statistically significant differences in the frequency of IFN-γ or IL-13 responses to auto-antigenic stimuli, positive control or mitogen. Overall very low T cell reactivity to autoantigens was detected in all groups. IL-13 responses but not IFN-γ responses to recall antigen tetanus toxoid were higher in healthy control subjects compared to patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes or LADA (P<0.05). Diabetes, independent of type, was associated with weaker response to recall antigen tetanus toxoid.


CONCLUSIONS
LADA patients are indistinguishable from type 1 diabetes patients for cellular IFN-γ and IL-13 responses upon mitogen and recall antigen stimulation. These results extend previous findings showing that systemic cytokine/chemokine and humoral responses in type 1 diabetes and LADA are similar.
Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center at Heinrich-Heine-University, Leibniz Institute for Diabetes Research, Düsseldorf, Germany. alexander.strom@ddz.uni-duesseldorf.de
Alexander
A
Strom
Barbara
B
Menart
Marie-Christine
MC
Simon
Minh Nguyet
MN
Pham
Hubert
H
Kolb
Michael
M
Roden
Paolo
P
Pozzilli
R David G
RD
Leslie
Nanette C
NC
Schloot
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D007376:Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma