Detection of Autoreactive T Cells in Type 1 Diabetes Using Coded Autoantigens and an Immunoglobulin-Free Cytokine ELISPOT Assay: Report from the Fourth Immunology of Diabetes Society T Cell Workshop

Proinsulin is an abundant protein that is selectively expressed by pancreatic beta cells and has been a focus for development of antigen-specific immunotherapies for type 1 diabetes (T1D). In this study, we sought to comprehensively evaluate reactivity to preproinsulin by CD4 T cells originally isolated from pancreatic islets of organ donors having T1D. We analyzed 187 T cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes expressed by CD4 T cells obtained from six T1D donors and determined their response to 99 truncated preproinsulin peptide pools, in the presence of autologous B cells. We identified 14 TCR clonotypes from four out of the six donors that responded to preproinsulin peptides. Epitopes were found across all of proinsulin (insulin B-chain, C-peptide, and A-chain) including four hot spot regions containing peptides commonly targeted by TCR clonotypes derived from multiple T1D donors. Of importance, these hot spots overlap with peptide regions to which CD4 T cell responses have previously been detected in the peripheral blood of T1D patients. The 14 TCR clonotypes recognized proinsulin peptides presented by various HLA class II molecules, but there was a trend for dominant restriction with HLA-DQ, especially T1D risk alleles DQ8, DQ2, and DQ8-trans. The characteristics of the tri-molecular complex including proinsulin peptide, HLA-DQ molecule, and TCR derived from CD4 T cells in islets, provides an essential basis for developing antigen-specific biomarkers as well as immunotherapies.

Download Full-text

Increased islet antigen–specific regulatory and effector CD4+ T cells in healthy individuals with the type 1 diabetes–protective haplotype

Science Immunology ◽

10.1126/sciimmunol.aax8767 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (44) ◽

pp. eaax8767 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Xiaomin Wen ◽

Junbao Yang ◽

Eddie James ◽

I-Ting Chow ◽

Helena Reijonen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Type 1 Diabetes ◽

T Cell ◽

Regulatory T Cells ◽

Interleukin 4 ◽

Specific Class ◽

Protective Haplotype ◽

Specific Effector ◽

Islet Antigen

The DRB1*15:01-DQB1*06:02 (DR1501-DQ6) haplotype is linked to dominant protection from type 1 diabetes, but the cellular mechanism for this association is unclear. To address this question, we identified multiple DR1501- and DQ6-restricted glutamate decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) and islet-specific glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit–related protein (IGRP)–specific T cell epitopes. Three of the DR1501/DQ6-restricted epitopes identified were previously reported to be restricted by DRB1*04:01/DRB1*03:01/DQB1*03:02. We also used specific class II tetramer reagents to assess T cell frequencies. Our results indicated that GAD65- and IGRP-specific effector and CD25+CD127−FOXP3+ regulatory CD4+ T cells were present at higher frequencies in individuals with the protective haplotype than those with susceptible or neutral haplotypes. We further confirmed higher frequencies of islet antigen–specific effector and regulatory CD4+ T cells in DR1501-DQ6 individuals through a CD154/CD137 up-regulation assay. DR1501-restricted effector T cells were capable of producing interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) but were more likely to produce IL-10 compared with effectors from individuals with susceptible haplotypes. To evaluate their capacity for antigen-specific regulatory activity, we cloned GAD65 and IGRP epitope–specific regulatory T cells. We showed that these regulatory T cells suppressed DR1501-restricted GAD65- and IGRP-specific effectors and DQB1*03:02-restricted GAD65-specific effectors in an antigen-specific fashion. In total, these results suggest that the protective DR1501-DQ6 haplotype confers protection through increased frequencies of islet-specific IL-10–producing T effectors and CD25+CD127−FOXP3+ regulatory T cells.

Download Full-text