Protein microarray analysis as a tool for monitoring cellular autoreactivity in type 1 diabetes patients and their relatives.

Background: Autoreactive T cells have a crucial role in type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to monitor the in vitro production of cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after stimulation with diabetogenic autoantigens.

Subjects: Ten T1D patients (tested at the time of diagnosis and 6 and 12 months later), 10 first-degree relatives of the T1D patients, and 10 controls underwent the study.

High T-helper-1 cytokines but low T-helper-3 cytokines, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in children with high risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is suggested to be of T-helper (Th)1-like origin. However, recent reports indicate a diminished interferon (IFN)-gamma secretion at the onset of the disease. We hypothesize that there is a discrepancy in subsets of Th-cells between children with a high risk of developing T1D, children newly diagnosed with T1D and healthy children.