Lymphocyte responsiveness and interleukin 2 production in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 24 long-standing IDDM patients (mean age 11.4 +/- 3.2 yrs) and 24 matched controls (mean age 7.7 +/- 4.4 yrs) were stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) mitogen and PPD, tetanus and diphtheria antigens. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) production was measured from the supernatants of lymphocytes stimulated with PHA in vitro. There was no difference in lymphocyte blast transformation responses between the patients and controls, and IL-2 production was equal in both. It was thus concluded that there is no general immune deficiency in IDDM such as described in the BB rat even though specific immune aberration to certain virus antigens may exist.