Islet-reactive T cells are a marker of preclinical insulin-dependent diabetes

Abstract

The destruction of pancreatic islet beta cells in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is thought to be T cell mediated. To directly identify islet-reactive T cells in asymptomatic, "preclinical" IDDM individuals with islet cell antibodies (ICA), proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was measured in the presence of sonicated fetal pig proislets. Stimulation indices (mean±SD) for [3H]thymidine uptake by PBMC cultured with sonicated proislets were: preclinical IDDM subjects (n = 22) 6.10±6.50, recent-onset IDDM subjects (n = 29) 3.66±3.35, Graves' disease subjects (n = 6) 2.17±0.93, scleroderma subjects (n = 4) 1.65±0.19 and normal control subjects (n = 14) 1.63±0.62..