T regulatory lymphocytes in type 1 diabetes: Impaired CD25 expression and IL-2 induced STAT5 phosphorylation in pediatric patients.

T regulatory cells (Tregs) are essential for maintaining tolerance and preventing autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes (T1D). In our study, we investigated CD25 + FoxP3 + Tregs and thymic FoxP3 + Helios + Tregs in large cohorts of children with T1D at onset and with long-term T1D, and further in their relatives and healthy controls. We observed significantly decreased numbers of CD25 + FoxP3 + Tregs, but not FoxP3 + Helios + Tregs, in long-term patients compared with the control group and T1D onset.

Helios expression in T-regulatory cells in patients with di George Syndrome.

Purpose: Syndrome diGeorge is associated amongst other clinical signs with various degrees of thymic dysplasia, related immunodeficiency and autoimmune disorders. Helios, a transcription factor from Ikaros family, has been proposed as a marker for thymus derived Tregs. We therefore examined Helios + Tregs in a cohort of patients with genetically proven diGeorge syndrome with typical T cell lymphopenia due to the thymic pathology.

Polymorphisms of TGF-beta1 in cystic fibrosis patients.

There is a significant phenotypic variance among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Due to the role of TGF-beta1 in fibrotic processes we investigated its role in CF pathogenesis. TGF-beta 1 codons 10 and 25 were genotyped in 118 Czech CF patients and 268 controls by PCR-ARMS.