Large-scale prospective T cell function assays in shipped, unfrozen blood samples: experiences from the multicenter TRIGR trial

Neuronal T-cell autoreactivity is amplified in overweight children with new-onset insulin-requiring diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Disease-associated T-cell autoreactivities are seen in most type 1 diabetic patients and are thought to emerge before islet autoantibodies, but host factors that impact autoimmune elements remain uncertain. We assessed if adiposity and measures of insulin sensitivity impact T- and B-cell autoimmunity in children with insulin-requiring diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Insulin-requiring children and adolescents diagnosed between January 2004 and June 2008 were studied (n = 261): age 9.7 ± 4 years, 92% white, and 60% male. T-cell responses to 10 diabetes-associated antigens, β-cell autoantibodies (GADA, IA-2A, IAA, and ICA), BMI z score (BMIz), and waist percentile were measured at onset and 3 months later.

RESULTS

All but one subject had either T- or B-cell autoimmunity. Diabetes-associated T-cell autoreactivities were found in 92% of subjects. Higher amplitude T-cell autoreactivities to neuronal diabetes-associated autoantigens were seen in those with the highest BMIz quintile, BMI ≥85th percentile (P < 0.05), and waist circumference ≥85th percentile (P < 0.05). There were no relationships between the number of T-cell reactivities or T-cell diversity with adiposity measures or autoantibody number or type. Patients with positive T-cell reactivities but without autoantibodies had the highest BMIz (P = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Our observations link obesity and diabetes-related autoimmunity, suggesting an amplification of neuronal T-cell autoimmunity associated with adiposity and/or insulin resistance, with obesity-related inflammation possibly enhancing islet autoimmunity.

Biomarkers in type 1 diabetes: application to the clinical trial setting

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Biomarkers of type 1 diabetes (T1D) are important for assessing risk of developing disease, monitoring disease progression, and determining responses to clinical treatments. Here we review recent advances in the development of biomarkers of T1D with a focus on their utility in clinical trials.

RECENT FINDINGS

Measurements of autoantibodies and metabolic outcomes have been the foundation of monitoring T1D for the past 20 years. Recent advancements have led to improvements in T-cell-specific assays that have been used in large-scale clinical trials to measure antigen-specific T cell responses. Additionally, new tools are being developed for the measurement of β cell mass and death that will allow for more direct measurement of disease activity. Lastly, recent studies have used both immunologic and nonimmunologic biomarkers to identify responders to treatments in clinical trials.

SUMMARY

Use of biomarkers in the study of T1D has largely not changed over the past 20 years; however, recent advancements in the field are establishing new techniques that allow for more precise monitoring of disease progression. These new tools will ultimately lead to an improvement in understanding of disease and will be utilized in clinical trials.