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Updated: Aug 4, 2025

Accelerated Type 1 Diabetes Induction in Mice by Adoptive Transfer of Diabetogenic CD4+ T Cells
Published on: May 6, 2013
Lymphocytes regulate expression of the SARS-CoV-2 cell entry factor ACE2 in the pancreas of T2DM patients
Peng Zhang1, Chang-Bo Zheng2, Xiao-Yu Liu3
1Longgang E.N.T. Hospital & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of E.N.T, Institute of E.N.T, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Aims:
COVID-19 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) show both poorer clinical outcomes and have an increased risk of death. SARS-CoV-2 virus infection requires simultaneous expression of the SARS-CoV-2 cell entry factors angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine type 2 (TMPRSS2) in the same cell. The aim of the study was to explore the underlying mechanisms of a COVID-19 infection in patients with T2DM.
Methods:
The distribution and expression of AEC2 and TMPRSS2 in different pancreatic cell types in clinical samples of T2DM patients and diabetic mouse models were analysed by single-cell sequencing, bioinformatics analysis and basic experiments.
Results:
The results showed that ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are expressed in the ducts of the human pancreas. These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect ductal cells in vivo through ACE2 and TMPRSS2. T2DM can promote the co-expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in exocrine ducts, including in the human pancreas. We hypothesize that ACE2 expression levels are associated with increased numbers of lymphocytes in vivo.
Conclusions:
Increased blood glucose levels are associated with increased ACE2 expression and an increased number of lymphocytes. At the same time, lymphocytes can promote ACE2 expression.
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