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Updated: Jul 8, 2025

Accelerated Type 1 Diabetes Induction in Mice by Adoptive Transfer of Diabetogenic CD4+ T Cells
Published on: May 6, 2013
Inflammageing mediated by cytotoxic lymphocytes is associated with diabetes duration
Dora Gašparini1, Felix M Wensveen2, Tamara Turk Wensveen3
1Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20/1, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Cardiometabolism, Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation of the Heart and Lung Diseases and Rheumatism Thalassotherapia Opatija, Maršala Tita 188/1, 51410 Opatija, Croatia.
Aims:
Inflammageing, the age-related systemic increase of proinflammatory factors, has been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and cancer in the elderly. Chronic inflammation is believed to be a causative factor in the development of diabetic complications. However, exactly how type 2 diabetes impacts the inflammatory state of the immune system is incompletely characterised.
Methods:
Blood collection and anthropometric measurements were performed in patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 49) and control subjects (n = 30). The phenotype, proliferation capacity and cytokine production by cytotoxic lymphocytes were analysed using multiparametric flow cytometry.
Results:
Type 2 diabetes did not impact the phenotype or proliferation of the investigated cells. However, we observed a significantly increased production of tumour necrosis factor-α by CD8+ T cells and Granzyme B by natural killer cells and γδ T cells compared to controls. Hyperresponsiveness of cytotoxic blood lymphocytes did not correlate with glycaemia or body mass index, but instead was associated with older age and longer diabetes duration.
Conclusions:
Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased pro-inflammatory potential of cytotoxic blood lymphocytes correlating with age and diabetes duration. Further research is necessary to explore potential benefits of diabetes medications in reverting this effect.
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