Decreased percentage of NKG2D+NK cells in patients with incident onset of Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is characterized by absolute insulin deficiency owing to autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic β cells. A significant decrease in natural killer (NK) cells in peripheral blood has been observed in patients with untreated T1DM. In the present study, we aimed to explore the role of NK cells and their subsets in young T1DM patients. A total of 30 children and adolescents with untreated T1DM and 27 healthy controls (HC) were recruited in this study. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that the percentage of peripheral blood CD3-CD56+ NK cells and NK cells subsets (CD56bright, CD56dim and CD56neg), were significantly decreased in the T1DM patients compared to healthy controls. In addition, the percentage of inducible CD107a+ and IFN-γ-secreting NK cells was significantly decreased compared to HC. Interestingly, the percentage of NKG2D+ NK cells negatively correlated with the level of serum TCHOL and TG in T1DM patients. Our data indicate that decreased number and impaired function of NK cells may have a role in the pathogenesis of T1DM.

A study of 51 subtypes of peripheral blood immune cells in newly diagnosed young type 1 diabetes patients

“…2f-h and Supporting information, Fig. 1g-j) of NK cells and its subsets (NK reg CD56 bright CD16 -, NK eff CD56 dim CD16 + , CD56 dim CD16 -) in our study and in others [8,14] warrants further investigation. One possible explanation for the lower NK count in T1D patients might be related to decreased responsiveness to interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-15 stimulation [8] which, in combination with impaired cell numbers in the NK cell compartment, may cause increased susceptibility to certain viruses (e.g.…”

“…Although some authors doubt the existence of the latter NK subpopulation [18], we are confident that all four NK subpopulations could be determined. 1g-j) of NK cells and its subsets (NK reg CD56 bright CD16 -, NK eff CD56 dim CD16 + , CD56 dim CD16 -) in our study and in others [8,14] warrants further investigation. However, the exact role of this latter subset in normal physiological conditions, as well as in autoimmune diseases, remains to be defined.…”

“…T1D has been classically described as a T cell-mediated disease [2]; however, an increasing number of studies have shown the importance of other immune cells in disease pathogenesis [6,8,9,14]. In the current study, we examined changes in a wide spectrum of immune cells in children with newly diagnosed T1D using unseparated PBMCs staining panels and HIP-C version 3.3 protocol developed by the COST-ENTIRE consortium.…”

Relationship between natural killer cell activity and glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes

“…Also, fasting plasma C‐peptide and insulin showed significant correlations with NK cell activity. A study by Zhang et al . found that type 1 diabetes patients with severely reduced insulin levels also had decreased NK cells.…”

“…NK cells lost their function when exposed to hyperglycemia, as in patients with uncontrolled diabetes, and physical inactivity and poor metabolic status were associated with decreased NK cell activity. Type 1 diabetes, as well as type 2 diabetes, patients were presented with a lower number of NK cells and a decline in NK cell function. However, little is known about the NK cell activity in patients with prediabetes – who are in a hyperglycemic state, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes – nor its relationship with metabolic parameters in these patients.…”