THE ROLE OF NKT CELLS IN TYPEIDIABETES

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In our study, the levels of peripheral blood NKT cells, cytokine profile and cytotoxic activity of type 1 diabetes patients with a disease duration of between 1 month-1 year (Group 1, n:5, mean age: 31±7), disease duration of more than 1 year (Group 2, n:4, mean age: 22±8) and non-diabetic relatives of type 1 diabetic patients (Group 3, n:7, mean age: 30±9) are compared to healty control (Group 4, n:5, mean age: 25±5). Investigating ICA and anti-GAD positivity in these groups, Group 1 and Group 2 showed 100% positivity, whereas Group 3 and Group 4 did not show any positivity of these autoantibodies. Investigating the levels of Voc24 with flow cytometry, the group with disease duration between 1 month -1 year, the group with disease duration of more than 1 year and the group of first degree non-diabetic relatives of type 1 diabetics were found statistically decreased compared to healthy control group (p 0.001, p 0.01 ve p 0.05, respectively). Among groups, levels of Voc24 were found statistically significant in Group 3, compared to Group 1 and Group 2 (p 0.05). Comparing the levels of CD161 in groups, Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 are found significantly decreased compared to control group (p 0.001, p 0.001, p 0.001, respectively), and there is no significant difference was found among Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 (p 0.05). Investigating the levels of intracytoplasmic cytokine IFN-y in groups, Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 was found significantly decreased compared to control group (p 0.001, p 0.001, p 0.001, respectively). A strong correlation was also found between CD161 expression and intracytoplasmic IFN-y levels (r=0.78). İletişim bilgileri: There is no statistically significance was found in the levels of Vail comparing study and control groups (p 0.05). Comparing intracytoplasmic IFN-y levels and CD161 surface molecule expressions to cytotoxicity values, a significant correlation was found (r=0.76). Decrease of IFN-y levels depending on CD161 expression, states the relationship between the diagnosis time of type 1 diabetes and cytotoxic activity of NK and NKT cells. Our results support the findings that NKT cells are decreased numerically and functionally in the early stages of type 1 diabetes. Decreasion of NKT cell numbers and functions in non-diabetic first degree relatives of type 1 diabetic patients suggests the role of preclinic progress in disease. In our study emphasizing the importance of NKT cells in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, our findings state the parallelism between numerically reduction of NKT cells and release of IFN-y and cytotoxic activity. These results state the importance of NKT cells in the early stages of the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes.

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