The Role of Intermediate Monocytes (CD14+CD16+) in Development and Diagnosis of Recent Type 1 Diabetes in Children

Abstract

Background: Monocytes play an important role in antigen presentation and cytokine production to achieve a proper immune response and are therefore largely implicated in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Objectives: To determine the significance of expanded intermediate monocytes as a predictive factor for the poor residual islet β−cell function in children with recent-onset Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Subjects and methods: This study was a case- control study carried out at Pediatric Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic and Clinical Pathology Department, Zagazig University Hospital. It included 20 patients with recent onset T1DM and 20 age and sex matched healthy children as a control group. All studied groups were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination and laboratory investigations in the form of CBC, fasting blood glucose, C-peptide and serum HbA1c levels. Cell-surface monocyte phenotypic analysis was performed after staining with human anti-CD14 and anti-CD16 by flow cytometry. Results: There were highly significant increase in the ratio of intermediate monocytes and significant increase in the ratio of classical, non-classical monocytes in T1DM group compared to control group. Conclusion: The intermediate monocyte population was expanded in pediatric patients with T1DM. As these cells were shown to have pro-inflammatory activity, they are likely to be implicated in the impaired function of β-cells, with deleterious consequences for the development of T1DM.