Autoantigen-specific memory CD4+ T cells are prevalent early in progression to Type 1 diabetes.

Authors: Oling V, Reijonen H, Simell O, Knip M, Ilonen J Abstract Autoreactive CD4(+) T cells contribute to the destruction of insulin producing beta cells in Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Using MHC class II tetramers, we have analyzed the frequency of GAD65- (274-286; 555-567) and insulin- (A1-15; A6-21) specific CD4(+) T cells in 31 children with T1D, 65 multiple autoantibody-positive children and 93 HLA- and age-matched controls. In a smaller group of children T-cell responses of memory origin to the same autoantigens were investigated. We observed a higher response to GAD65 555-567 in the autoantibody-positive children than in the controls (P=0.017). Memory T-cell responses to GAD65 555-567 were more frequent among T1D patients (P=0.025) and autoantibody-positive (P=0.054), while all ...
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