Reduced iNKT cells numbers in type 1 diabetes patients and their first‐degree relatives

Immunity, Inflammation and Disease

Nonantzin Beristain-Covarrubias³  Elsy Canche-Pool¹  Rita Gomez-Diaz²  Luvia E. Sanchez-Torres⁴ 

[1] Immunology Laboratory, Center for Regional Investigations “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi”, Mérida, Mexico;Research Unit on Clinical Epidemiology (UMAE), Specialty Hospital, National Medical Center, Mexican Social Security Institute, Mexico City, Mexico;Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV), Mexico City, Mexico;Department of Immunology, National School of Biological Science, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico

关键词: Activation markers;    autoimmune diabetes;    CD355;    CRTAM;    invariant natural killer T cells;   

DOI  :  10.1002/iid3.79

来源: Wiley

【 摘 要 】

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by the specific destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells have been associated with development of T1D. Class I MHC-restricted T cell-associated molecule (CRTAM) is expressed on activated iNKT, CD8⁺, and CD4⁺ T cells, and it is associated with the pro-inflammatory profiles of these cells. Crtam gene expression in CD3⁺ lymphocytes from non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice is associated with T1D onset. However, expression of CRTAM on T cells from patients with T1D has not yet been evaluated. We compared iNKT cell (CD3⁺Vα24⁺Vβ11⁺) numbers and CRTAM expression in a Mexican population with recent-onset T1D and their first-degree relatives with control families. Remarkably, we found lower iNKT cell numbers in T1D families, and we identified two iNKT cell populations in some of the families. One iNKT cell population expressed high iTCR levels (iNKT^hi), whereas another expressed low levels (iNKT^lo) and also expressed CRTAM. These findings support a probable genetic determinant of iNKT cell numbers and a possible role for these cells in T1D development. This study also suggests that CRTAM identifies recently activated iNKT lymphocytes.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 The Authors. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.