ISSN:
1432-0428
Keywords:
Natural killer cells
;
identical twins
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Viruses may cause Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. We wondered whether the number and function of natural killer cells, which are important in anti-viral defense, are disturbed in diabetic patients. We studied 16 recently diagnosed Type 1 diabetic patients, 18 Type 1 diabetic patients diagnosed more than 15 years previously, 18 Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients and 23 control subjects. We determined the number of natural killer cells (expressed as log10%) using anti-Leu 11 monoclonal antibody and the function (in log10 lytic units) concurrently using a 51Cr release assay with K 562 as target cells. We found that the number of natural killer cells was reduced in Type 1 diabetes (1.01±0.04) as compared with Type 2 diabetic patients (1.16±0.04, p=0.004) and normal control subjects (1.16±0.04, p=0.006). To establish whether the reduced natural killer cell number is genetically determined we studied 19 identical twin pairs discordant for Type 1 diabetes; we found that even the non-diabetic co-twins had a reduced natural killer cell number (0.93±0.05, p= 0.0006) as compared with normal control subjects. Natural killer cell function was similar in all groups while natural killer activity per cell was significantly increased in the recently diagnosed diabetic patients (1.63±0.07) as compared with long-standing diabetic patients (1.26±0.26, p= 0.03) and controls subjects (1.36±0.07, p= 0.006). In conclusion the reduced number of natural killer cells in Type 1 diabetes appears to be genetically determined while their activity at diagnosis is increased.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00295872
