Features of immunity in children and adolescents with different durations of type 1 diabetes

Abstract

Cellular and humoral immunity parameters were studied in 55 children and adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The patients were divided into 3 groups with different duration of disease: up to I year, 1-5 years, and more than 5 years. Population and subpopulation composition of peripheral blood lymphocytes was studied by indirect immunofluorescence. Serum concentrations of the main immunoglobulin classes were measured by radial immunodiffusion. At the initial stage of diabetes the immunoreactivity status in children and adolescents manifested by depression of T-cellular component of the immune system and activation of humoral immunity, this depression progressing with disease. The concentration of CD16⁺ cells was increased in all patients, irrespective of disease duration. 'The content of HLA-DR⁺ lymphocytes was increased at the stage of initial diabetes and decreased to the norm later. No definite patterns in changes of serum immunoglobulin concentrations could be distinguished during the observed period of disease; however the levels of IgA and IgM were significantly increased during various periods of IDDM.