PMID: 8955220Dec 15, 1996Paper

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of insulin-dependent diabetic patients respond to multiple islet cell proteins

The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists
B M Brooks-WorrellJ P Palmer

Abstract

Insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) results from autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells mediated predominantly by cellular effector mechanisms. To date, investigators have studied a limited number of islet cell proteins stimulatory to T cells. However, before development of clinical IDDM, the majority of the beta cells are impaired or destroyed. Thus, numerous proteins from lysed beta cells would be accessible to the immune system of the patient. Our goal was to investigate the PBMC reactivity of IDDM patients to the full spectrum of fractionated human pancreatic islet cell proteins to determine whether numerous islet cell proteins or a select few would be recognized. We observed that PBMCs from IDDM patients responded reproducibly (mean stimulation index, >2.0) to the proteins in all m.w. regions, whereas the mean stimulation index for controls from all m.w. regions was <2.0. Using three different islet protein preparations, PBMC responses of IDDM patients (n = 30) and controls (n = 39) to the islet cell proteins were significantly different. Dose responses were also demonstrated for the lymphocyte reactivity of the IDDM patients (n = 29) vs controls (n = 56) to the islet cell preparations. Proteins, presumably irreleva...Continue Reading

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