Immunological Aspects of Fulminant Type 1 Diabetes in Chinese

Abstract EN

Background.

Fulminant type 1 diabetes (FT1D) is a novel subtype of type 1 diabetes characterized by extremely rapid onset and complete deficiency of insulin due to the destruction of pancreatic β cells.

However, the precise mechanisms underlying the etiology of this disease remain unclear.

Methods.

A total of 22 patients with FT1D and 10 healthy subjects were recruited.

Serum antibodies to GAD, IA2, and ZnT8 in patients were tested.

And peripheral T cell responses to GAD65, insulin B9–23 peptide, or C peptide were determined in 10 FT1D patients and 10 healthy controls.

The mRNA levels of several related cytokines and molecules, such as IFN-γ, IL-4, RORC, and IL-17 in PBMCs from FT1D patients were analyzed by qRT-PCR.

Result.

We found that a certain proportion of Chinese FT1D patients actually have developed islet-related autoantibodies after onset of the disease.

The GAD, insulin, or C peptide-reactive T cells were found in some FT1D patients.

We also detected a significant increase for IFN-γ expression in FT1D PBMCs as compared with that of healthy controls.

Conclusion.

Autoimmune responses might be involved in the pathogenesis of Chinese FT1D.