Proinsulin-specific, HLA-DQ8, and HLA-DQ8-transdimer-restricted CD4+ T cells infiltrate islets in type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) develops when insulin-secreting β-cells, found in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans, are destroyed by infiltrating T cells. How human T cells recognize β-cell-derived antigens remains unclear. Genetic studies have shown that HLA and insulin alleles are the most strongly associated with risk of T1D.