Publication details
Immune Regulatory T Cells in Siblings of Children Suffering from Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2006 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-3083.2006.01837.x |
| Field | Epidemiology, infectious diseases and clinical immunology |
| Keywords | Regulatory T Cells; Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus; Siblings; HLA alleles |
| Description | Patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are suffering from defects in immune regulatory cells. Their siblings may be at increased risk of T1D especially if they are carriers of certain human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. In a prospective non-randomized study, we intended to evaluate 31 healthy siblings of paediatric patients with T1D and explore immune regulatory populations of CD4+CD25+ T cells and natural killer (NK) T cells. Tested siblings of T1D patients were stratified according to the HLA-associated risk of possible diabetes development. Significant differences in CD4+CD25+ but not in NK T cells have been identified. Siblings of T1D patients carrying high risk HLA alleles had significantly lower number of immune regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells than healthy controls or siblings carrying low-risk HLA alleles. In siblings of T1D patients, the defect in immune regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells exists in association with genetic HLA-linked risk for T1D. |