The Sentinel Role of CD8 T Cells in Regulating CD4 T Cell Responses to Proinsulin in β-Islet Cell Autoimmunity

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2008-12, Vol.1150 (1), p.270-272
• Main Authors: Batarelo, Vedran, Durinovic-Belló, Ivana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Autoimmunity - physiology; CD4 cells; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8 cells; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - immunology; effector cells; granzyme B; Humans; IFNg; Immunologic Surveillance - immunology; Immunologic Surveillance - physiology; Insulin-Secreting Cells - immunology; Islets of Langerhans - immunology; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; P-Ins73-90; proinsulin; Proinsulin - immunology; suppression; T cell epitopes; type 1 diabetes
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632; 1930-6547
• DOI: 10.1196/annals.1447.047

Circulating CD4 T cells specific for peptide epitopes of proinsulin and other autoantigens are markers of autoimmune β cell destruction in type 1 diabetes, while the role of CD8 T cells is still largely unknown. Here we show that CD8 T cells of a diabetic patient—after rechallange with proinsulin peptides—secrete IFNγ and granzyme B, markers of their effector capacity. On the other hand, CD8 T cells of the same patient in a “cross‐talk” with proinsulin‐specific CD4 T cells suppress their proliferation. If confirmed in larger numbers of subjects with β‐islet cell autoimmunity, these results may help us to understand the role of CD8 cells in disease progression and extend our knowledge of disease pathogenesis.