GAD65- and proinsulin-specific CD4+ T-cells detected by MHC class II tetramers in peripheral blood of type 1 diabetes patients and at-risk subjects

In type 1 diabetes the major loss of insulin producing beta-cells is caused by autoreactive T-cells specific for antigens expressed by the pancreatic islets. In this study we have analyzed the prevalence of glutamate decarboxylase 65 (GAD65)- and proinsulin-specific CD4+ T-cells in type 1 diabetes patients, at-risk subjects and in HLA-matched control children. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured in the presence of two different GAD65 peptides (555-567, 557I and 274-286) or with a proinsulin (B24-C36) peptide for 10-11 days. The autoreactive T-cells were detected using antigen specific-MHC class II tetramers by flow cytometry. Our results show that 11 of 18 (61%) type 1 diabetes patients and 7 of the 20 (35%) at-risk subjects were positive for one of the three GAD65 or proinsulin-containing tetramers, whereas only 2 of 21 (9.5%) controls had tetramer binding cells (p = 0.0007 type 1 diabetes vs. controls and p = 0.0488 at-risk subjects vs. controls, Chi-square test). Type 1 diabetes patients responded to all three peptides. At-risk subjects recognized also the GAD65 555-567 557I peptide, while none of the controls responded to it. In conclusion, type 1 diabetes patients and at-risk subjects have a significantly higher prevalence of GAD65- and proinsulin-specific CD4+ T-cells than the control subjects.