Recognition of heat-shock protein 60 epitopes in children with type 1 diabetes

Abstract

Background

Treatment with a specific HSP60 epitope in new onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients has been shown to preserve endogenous insulin production. Previously, recognition of pan HLA-DR binding HSP60 epitopes in various auto-immune diseases was found; this study investigated recognition of these epitopes in newly diagnosed T1D patients and correlated findings to the occurrence of a partial remission (PR).

Methods

PBMCs of 18 children with T1D were prospectively collected at disease onset and a few months after diagnosis. Epitope-specific T cell proliferation and cytokine production (intracellular and in culture supernatants) were measured; results were compared to 31 longstanding T1D patients and 10 healthy controls (HC).

Results

Although HSP60-epitope specific T cell proliferative responses were detected, overall proliferative responses were low. At onset, epitope-specific intracellular IFN-y production was higher in T1D patients compared to HC (p < 0.05). At follow-up, both IL-10 and IFN-γ production were higher in those without than in those with a PR (both p < 0.05). Also, IL-10 and IFN-γ production were higher compared to onset for patients without a PR (both p < 0.01).

In supernatants of HSP60 epitope-specific T cell cultures, no substantial differences in cytokine production were found between T1D patients with and without a PR, either at onset or a few months after onset. As patient numbers were small, results should be interpreted with caution.

Conclusions

PanDR binding HSP60 peptides induced low peptide-specific proliferative responses and peptide-specific production of some, mainly intracellular, cytokines in T1D patients. Recognition did not differ significantly between patient groups or various time points. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.