title: IgG-positive cells surround pancreatic ducts and form multiple layers after streptozotocin treatment.
abstract: Although numerous studies of diabetes have focused on cell-mediated immunity to pancreatic islet cells, little is known about immune cells in the pancreatic duct region. In this study, we found that membrane immunoglobulin G (IgG)-positive cells comprised about 1.4% of the total pancreatic cells in mice, forming a thin septum that surrounds large and medium pancreatic ducts. The IgG-positive cells showed low expression of beta-catenin and were amylase-, cytokeratin-, insulin-, and glucagon-negative. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the IgG-positive cells were also positive for CD45, Sca-1, c-Kit, CD49f, and CD133, and negative for Flk-1, suggesting that they were undifferentiated hematopoietic cells. On day 5 after streptozotocin treatment, the percentage of periductal IgG-positive cells increased to 3.37% of total pancreatic cells, and the periductal IgG-positive cells formed multiple layers (beta-catenin-low, and amylase-, cytokeratin-, insulin-, glucagon-negative). These cells were Ki67-negative, suggesting they were recruited from hematopoietic cells. We further found that IgG-positive cells formed multiple layers around large ducts of pancreas from NOD mice. Our findings reveal the existence of periductal IgG-positive cells in the adult mouse pancreas, which were activated during streptozotocin-induced diabetes, adding a new dimension to our understanding of immunity in diabetes.
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. ztong@whu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Zan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Weihuang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000473:pathology*; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013311:Streptozocin