CD3⁺CD56⁺ T Lymphocytes Are Associated With ER Stress and Inflammasome Activation in Type 1 Diabetes

The T cell's flexibility of the immune system to be regulated affects the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the mechanisms of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inflammasome activation in the circulating CD3⁺CD56⁺ T cells of patients with T1D remain unclear. This study evaluated the role of CD3⁺CD56⁺ T cells in T1D and their correlations with ER stress, inflammasome activation and disease characteristics.

The frequency of circulating CD3⁺CD56⁺ T cells was determined using flow cytometry in healthy individuals and patients with T1D. Calnexin, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), ASC, caspase-1 (Casp1), cleaved caspase-3 (C-Casp3), and annexin V (AnnV) expression and propidium iodide staining in CD3⁺/CD56⁺ T cells were analyzed using flow cytometry.

The frequency of CD3⁺CD56⁺ T cells was reduced in patients with T1D relative to that in healthy individuals. In addition, high calnexin, NLRP3, ASC and Casp1 expression in CD3⁺CD56⁺ T cells was negatively correlated with the percentage of CD3⁺CD56⁺ T cells in patients with T1D.

ER stress, inflammasome activation, and a lower peripheral frequency of circulating CD3⁺CD56⁺ T cells might indicate disease progression and necessitate clinical T1D immunological self-tolerance monitoring.