Expression data from recent-onset T1D patients and controls

Naturally occurring FoxP3+CD4+CD25+high regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in dominant tolerance, suppressing auto-reactive CD4+CD25- T cell activity. Although Tregs from T1D subjects are functionally deficient, there is little knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that orchestrate this loss of Treg function. We observed increased apoptosis (by a novel YOPRO-1/7AAD dual staining protocol) and decreased suppression in polyclonal Tregs in the periphery from high at-risk and T1D subjects. We hypothesize that prior to and during the onset of disease, Tregs lack pro-survival signals and are caught up in a relatively deficient cytokine milieu whose effects may be detectable in the periphery.

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Jailwala P, Waukau J, Glisic S, Jana S, Ehlenbach S, Hessner M, Alemzadeh R, Matsuyama S, Laud P, Wang X, Ghosh S