HLA-B*39:06 Efficiently Mediates Type 1 Diabetes in a Mouse Model Incorporating Reduced Thymic Insulin Expression.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-15-2018

JAX Source

J Immunol 2018 May 15; 200(10):3353-3363

Volume

200

Issue

10

First Page

3353

Last Page

3363

ISSN

1550-6606

PMID

29632144

DOI

https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1701652

Grant

DK046266, DK095735, OD020351-5022, CA013330, CA034196, IDRF FEllowship, Diabetes Research Connection Grant

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by T cell-mediated destruction of the insulin-producing β cells of the pancreatic islets. Among the loci associated with T1D risk, those most predisposing are found in the MHC region. HLA-B*39:06 is the most predisposing class I MHC allele and is associated with an early age of onset. To establish an NOD mouse model for the study of HLA-B*39:06, we expressed it in the absence of murine class I MHC. HLA-B*39:06 was able to mediate the development of CD8 T cells, support lymphocytic infiltration of the islets, and confer T1D susceptibility. Because reduced thymic insulin expression is associated with impaired immunological tolerance to insulin and increased T1D risk in patients, we incorporated this in our model as well, finding that HLA-B*39:06-transgenic NOD mice with reduced thymic insulin expression have an earlier age of disease onset and a higher overall prevalence as compared with littermates with typical thymic insulin expression. This was despite virtually indistinguishable blood insulin levels, T cell subset percentages, and TCR Vβ family usage, confirming that reduced thymic insulin expression does not impact T cell development on a global scale. Rather, it will facilitate the thymic escape of insulin-reactive HLA-B*39:06-restricted T cells, which participate in β cell destruction. We also found that in mice expressing either HLA-B*39:06 or HLA-A*02:01 in the absence of murine class I MHC, HLA transgene identity alters TCR Vβ usage by CD8 T cells, demonstrating that some TCR Vβ families have a preference for particular class I MHC alleles. J Immunol 2018 May 15; 200(10):3353-3363.

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