Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0011849 (diabetes)
 277,896 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), in which only the pancreatic beta cells are destroyed by the autoimmune response, is the paradigm of organ-specific autoimmunity. As a result of a combination of factors, the number of immunohistologic/cellular/molecular studies of pancreas in IDDM is very limited. We report here studies conducted in the pancreata of two IDDM patients: one newly diagnosed (case 1) and one long standing (case 2). In case 1, we demonstrated the presence of morphologically normal viable beta cells without evidence of viral infection. In both cases the expression of the autoantigens defined by islet cell Abs and by glutamic acid decarboxylase was markedly reduced in the islet cells whereas expression of hsp60, another putative autoantigen, was normal. Over-expression of HLA class I was detected in 58% of the islets in pancreatic sections and in cultured beta cells in case 1 and also in 30% of islets in case 2 but it was not restricted to any insular cell type. In case 1, there was "inappropriate" HLA class II expression in islets cells but it was a rare finding and not beta cell specific. The analysis of the correlation between class I overexpression, residual insulin, and insulitis suggests that the first event is the increase of HLA class I expression. Of adhesion molecules, ICAM-1, VLA, VCAM, and LFA-3 were normal and only ICAM-1 was moderately overexpressed in and around the islets of case 1 insulitis, as was detected by immunofluorescence which showed that 18% of the islets of case 1 had CD8+ lymphocytes as the predominant population. Reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated moderate V beta skewing and the profile of cytokines expected in CTLs: IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-gamma negative, perforin positive. In addition, IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IL-6 transcripts were detected in the case 1 pancreas, consistent with the existence of a silent viral infection. Overall, the results indicated that, differently from spontaneous animal models of diabetes, in the pancreas of IDDM patients there are no elements of the inductive phase of the autoimmune response.
 ...
PMID:Pancreas in recent onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Changes in HLA, adhesion molecules and autoantigens, restricted T cell receptor V beta usage, and cytokine profile. 791 15

Cytokines may be important mediators of beta-cell damage in early insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In order to further characterize the mechanism(s) of action of cytokines on insulin-producing cells, mouse pancreatic islets were exposed for 48 h to IL-1 beta, IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha, alone or in combinations. The three cytokines induced islet nitric oxide (NO) production, an effect most marked when islets were exposed to the three cytokines together. In parallel with NO production, IL-1 beta+IFN-gamma+TNF-alpha impaired islet function, as judged by decreased islet DNA and insulin content, decreased glucose metabolism and decreased glucose-induced insulin release. Aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of NO production, prevented all the above described suppressive effects of the cytokines, with exception of depletion in islet insulin content. In parallel experiments, insulin-producing RIN cells were exposed for 6 h to the same cytokines. Both IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha, but not IFN-gamma, induced NO production and expression of the mRNA encoding for the inducible form of the enzyme NO synthase (iNOS). These effects were most pronounced when combinations of IL-1 beta+IFN-gamma or IL-1 beta+IFN-gamma+TNF-alpha were used. As a whole, the data suggest that combinations of cytokines induce higher amounts of NO generation by mouse pancreatic islets than each of the cytokines isolated. An important source of islet NO production are probably the beta-cells, as pointed by data obtained with an insulinoma cell line. Most of the deleterious effects of the cytokines of mouse islets are prevented by blocking NO production, suggesting that NO is the main mediator of cytokine-induced beta-cell damage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma potentiate the deleterious effects of IL-1 beta on mouse pancreatic islets mainly via generation of nitric oxide. 794 48

There are three types of interferons (IFN), alpha, beta and gamma. IFN-alpha is produced in the leukocytes infected with virus, while IFN-beta is from fibroblasts infected with virus. IFN-gamma is induced by the stimulation of sensitized lymphocytes with antigen or non-sensitized lymphocytes with mitogens. It is believed that IFN-alpha and beta originated from the same ancestral gene, whereas IFN-gamma did not. IFN has not only an antiviral activity, but also various kinds of biological activities including cell growth inhibition, immunosuppressive effects, enhancement of macrophage, natural killer (NK) cell, killer (K) cell and neutrophil functions, and cell differentiation-inducing activity. IFN also shows the antitumor activity resulting from the integration of the above-mentioned biological activities. IFN is also deeply involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases, e.g., collagen diseases such as SLE and rheumatoid arthritis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, fulminant hepatitis, severe pancreatitis, nephritis, multiple sclerosis, allergic diseases, and atherosclerosis. At present, IFN is clinically used in therapy against virus infections such as hepatitis B and C, and for malignancies such as renal cell carcinoma, multiple myeloma, malignant melanoma, glioblastoma, skin cancers, malignant lymphoma and chronic myelogenous leukemia.
 ...
PMID:[Interferon-alpha, beta, gamma]. 799 28

Macrophages are present in the initial phase of the autoimmune process involved in the destruction of the endocrine pancreas in IDDM via the secretion of cytokines such as IL-1 beta. Macrophages also secrete lysozyme. Besides its action on the bacterial cell wall, lysozyme has an important physiological and immunological role. Human lysozyme is an in-situ modulator of the inflammatory reactions. We investigate the protective role of human lysozyme in vitro against the cytotoxic effect of IL-1 beta or of IL-1 beta combined with IFN-gamma on isolated rat islets. Precultured newborn rat islets were incubated with human or chicken lysozyme (50.000 U/ml) over 3 days. Human IL-1 beta (100 U/ml) or IL-1 beta (5 U/ml) + INF-gamma (100 U/ml) was added for the last 2 days and tritiated thymidine for the last 24 hrs. In another set of experiments, islets were exposed simultaneously to human lysozyme and IL-1 beta. Only pretreatment with human lysozyme abolished the lowering of the labelling index of the islet cell induced by IL-1 beta or by IL-1 beta and INF-gamma. Pycnotic nuclei were abundant in islets treated with IL-1 alone while they were not when islets were pretreated with human lysozyme. Chicken lysozyme had no protective effect in the same protocol. Human lysozyme was not protective when applied simultaneously with IL-1. Pretreatment of the islets by human lysozyme does not prevent the reduction of the insulin secretion induced by IL-1 beta. Human and chicken lysozyme differ further in their action when tested on fibroblasts proliferation. Only human lysozyme stimulates the latter. In conclusion, only human lysozyme seems to have a protective effect against the cytotoxicity of IL-1 in combination or not with IFN-gamma on islet cells in vitro. Moreover, to be protected, the islets have to be pretreated with lysozyme before the IL-1 application. Our in vitro results imply that natural aspecific immunity and its relation to the secretory function of the macrophage might be crucial for the prevention of the initial assault responsible for the onset of the immune process leading to insulin dependent diabetes.
Diabetes Res Clin Pract 1994 Mar
PMID:Prevention of the cytotoxic effect of IL-1 by human lysozyme on isolated rat islets. 807 Mar 6

There is now increasing evidence that the hormonal form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D3, is involved in the regulation of the immune system. Local production of the hormone in various infectious diseases can benefit the immune environment. 1,25(OH)2D3 exerts most of its actions only after it has bound to its specific nuclear receptor. These receptors are present in monocytes and activated lymphocytes. The hormone inhibits lymphocyte proliferation and immunoglobulin production in a dose-dependent fashion. It also blocks the accumulation of the mRNAs for IL-2, IFN-gamma and GM-CSF. It interferes with T helper cell (Th) function, reducing Th-induction of immunoglobulin production by B-cells and inhibits the passive transfer of cellular immunity by Th in vivo. The steroid hormone promotes suppressor cell activity and inhibits the generation of cytotoxic and NK cells. The expression of Class II antigen by lymphocytes and monocytes is also affected. In vivo, 1,25(OH)2D3 is particularly effective in preventing auto-immune diseases such as experimental auto-immune encephalomyelitis, murine lupus, and diabetes in NOD mice. Synthetic analogues of vitamin D3 that bind to receptors but have no hypercalcemic effect in vivo have recently been developed for therapeutic use.
 ...
PMID:[Vitamin D and the immune system]. 809 May 62

We isolated CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones from pancreatic islets of non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice and studied their interactions with pancreatic islets, in culture. The three CD4+ T cell clones proliferated when cultured with islet cells from NOD, BALB/c, or C57BL/6 (B6) mice. For proliferation to the allogeneic islets, however, APC from NOD mice were required in the culture. Two of the clones also produced IFN-gamma upon culture with NOD islet cells. The Ag from islet cells responsible for T cell stimulation were not released into the supernatant but were cell associated. Paraformaldehyde treatment of islet cells, in fact, preserved their antigenicity. The fixed islet cells could present Ag to CD4+ T cell clones, provided live, syngeneic APC were added to the culture. We conclude from these experiments that islet cells donate Ag to the APC for presentation and that the function of APC is to process the Ag. The two CD8+ T cell clones proliferated and released IFN-gamma upon reaction with islet cells from either NOD or BALB/c but not B6 mice. The CD8+ T cell clones also reacted with the insulinoma NIT-1 cell line, derived from NOD mice. Fixation of NIT-1 cells did not impair recognition when live APC were present in the culture. In this case, however, the APC could be allogeneic. We conclude that CD8+ T cells directly recognized a MHC class I-restricted Ag on target cells, but needed the costimulatory effect of APC. We also found that CD8+ T cells killed islet cells. Two of the CD4+ T cell clones produced diabetes when transferred into male, irradiated NOD mice. For optimal transfer of disease, the CD4+ T cell clones had to be co-injected with CD8+ T cells from NOD diabetic mice. The two CD8+ T cell clones did not transfer disease.
 ...
PMID:Presentation of beta-cell antigens to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of non-obese diabetic mice. 810 46

Type I, insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) in both man and animals results from a specific autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells involving both humoral and cellular immune mechanisms. The pathognomonic histologic lesion, termed insulitis, is an inflammatory and immune cell infiltrate of the pancreatic islet cells. While recent histological and flow cytometric analyses have identified the cell composition of the infiltrate, the presence of a cell population may not reflect the functional reactivities important for beta cell destruction. In the present study, we have investigated the possible functional reactivities of islet-infiltrating mononuclear cell populations by measuring increased cytokine mRNA usage. Results indicate that 1) cytokine mRNA profiles exhibited by islet-infiltrating cells of female and male NOD mice were quite similar with the exception of IL-6 expression and the marked differences in the levels of IL-2 receptor and IL-1 alpha mRNA, 2) CD4+ T lymphocytes expressed IL-4, presumably IL-5, and occasionally IL-10 mRNA but no detectable IL-2 mRNA, 3) CD8+ T lymphocytes exhibited TNF-beta, perforin and high levels of IFN-gamma, and 4) IL-7 was expressed in the islet at very high levels. These findings, together with our earlier flow cytometric analyses of the islet-infiltrating cells, have permitted construction of a detailed model for the natural history of autoimmune diabetes. Interestingly, this model, based on a TH2- and not a TH1-mediated scheme, questions the more popular concepts currently thought to form the bases of the autoimmune reactions underlying IDD.
 ...
PMID:Insulin-dependent diabetes in the NOD mouse model. II. Beta cell destruction in autoimmune diabetes is a TH2 and not a TH1 mediated event. 810 89

The role of IL-10 in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes mellitus was assessed in the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse. In these studies the effect of IL-10 was determined on three parameters of diabetes: The development of hyperglycemia, the development of insulitis, and the production of insulin by beta cells. Initial experiments investigated the effect of anticytokine antibodies on the development of disease. These results indicated that monoclonal anti-IFN-gamma antibody greatly reduced the incidence of hyperglycemia in female NOD mice, while anti-IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 were ineffective. In subsequent studies, daily subcutaneous administration of IL-10, a known potent inhibitor of IFN-gamma production by TH1 T cells, to 9 and 10-week-old NODs was shown to delay the onset of disease and significantly reduce the incidence of diabetes. Histopathology performed on pancreatic tissue demonstrated that treatment with IL-10 reduced the severity of insulitis, prevented cellular infiltration of islet cells, and promoted normal insulin production by beta cells. Taken together these results indicate IL-10 suppresses the induction and progression of autoimmune pathogenesis associated with diabetes mellitus and suggest a potential therapeutic role for this cytokine in this autoimmune disease.
 ...
PMID:Recombinant human IL-10 prevents the onset of diabetes in the nonobese diabetic mouse. 818 Nov 85

We previously reported that nonspecific immunomodulations with a streptococcal preparation (OK-432), an inducer of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or with recombinant TNF prevented development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in animal models (NOD mice and BB rats). Recently we have further reported that lymphotoxin (LT), a cytokine with functional and structural characteristics similar to those of TNF, also protected NOD mice from diabetes. In this study, we have extended our observation on the LT to BB rats. Male and female BB/Wor rats were treated intraperitoneally with recombinant human LT three times a week from 4 to 11 weeks of age. The cumulative incidence of diabetes by 14 weeks of age was 24/30 (80.0%) in nontreated control rats, whereas it was 10/26 (38.5% vs control, P < 0.01) and 4/29 (13.8% vs control, P < 0.0001) in the rats treated with 1 x 10(3) and 1 x 10(4) of LT, respectively. There was no significant difference in nonfasting blood glucose levels and body weights between nontreated control and LT-treated rats, which were nondiabetic. In the LT-treated rats, intensity of insulitis was significantly reduced in comparison with the nontreated rats. Concanavalin A-stimulated TNF/LT productivity of spleen cells was significantly lower in BB/Wor and BB/Sendai rats than in Wistar rats or other normal rat strains. On the other hand, there was no difference between BB/Sendai and Wistar rats in the in vivo TNF/LT productivity induced with LPS or with IFN-gamma plus LPS, and the TNF/LT productivity of these rats was lower on stimulation with LPS alone, but higher with IFN-gamma plus LPS than the other normal rats. These results indicate that treatment with LT, as well as TNF, modulated autoimmunity and prevented development of IDDM in BB/Wor rats which may be low producers of TNF/LT.
 ...
PMID:Prevention of type I diabetes with lymphotoxin in BB rats. 824 3

The destructive insulitis that develops in disease-prone NOD mice is characterized by a high frequency of IFN-gamma-producing cells in the lesion. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) challenge of young, disease-prone animals inhibits the development of diabetes but does not alter the frequency with which pancreatic insulitis develops. However, the non-destructive lesions that develop in syngeneic islets transplanted to the kidney capsule of NOD mice following CFA therapy differ in cytokine production from the destructive lesions that develop in control animals transplanted with NOD islets. Non-destructive lesions are characterized by a high frequency of IL4-producing cells and a relatively low frequency of IFN-gamma-producing cells.
 ...
PMID:Altered cytokine activity in adjuvant inhibition of autoimmune diabetes. 839 13


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>