Temporary, but Essential Requirement of CD8+ T Cells Early in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes in BB Rats as Revealed by Thymectomy and CD8 Depletion

Autoimmunity-prone BB rats demonstrate a T lymphocytopenia and abnormal T cell subset distribution. To test whether the life span of all T cells or only of certain subsets is reduced in BB rats, we thymectomised 8-week-old BB and PVG rats and subsequently assessed size and composition of the T cell...

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Main Authors: Herman Groen, Flip Klatter, Jennie Pater, Paul Nieuwenhuis, Jan Rozing
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2003-01-01
Series:Clinical and Developmental Immunology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10446670310001626508
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author Herman Groen
Flip Klatter
Jennie Pater
Paul Nieuwenhuis
Jan Rozing
author_facet Herman Groen
Flip Klatter
Jennie Pater
Paul Nieuwenhuis
Jan Rozing
author_sort Herman Groen
collection DOAJ
description Autoimmunity-prone BB rats demonstrate a T lymphocytopenia and abnormal T cell subset distribution. To test whether the life span of all T cells or only of certain subsets is reduced in BB rats, we thymectomised 8-week-old BB and PVG rats and subsequently assessed size and composition of the T cell population over a 6-week-period. In both strains, thymectomy (Tx) was followed by a decrease in peripheral T cell numbers, which was proportionally larger in BB rats. The decline of the Thy-1+ recent thymic migrant (RTM) T cell phenotype was similar in both strains. BB rats showed a rapid preferential loss of CD8+ and CD45RC+ T cells, whereas the relative loss of RT6+ T cells was proportional to that of all T cells and not significantly different from that in PVG rats. Tx at 8-week did not prevent diabetes. Tx of 4-week-old BB rats revealed essentially the same changes in peripheral T cell subset distribution as in 8-week-old animals. However, Tx at week 4 did prevent diabetes. Since this raised the possibility of a temporary requirement of CD8+ T cells for the development of diabetes, we performed CD8 depletions during different pre-diabetic intervals. We found that CD8 depletion from 4 to 8 and 4 to 14 weeks, but not from 8 to 14 weeks of age prevented diabetes. We conclude that the protective effect of early adult Tx is, at least in part, due to the rapid loss of CD8+ T cells, and that these cells are only required between 4 and 8 weeks of age for diabetes to develop in BB rats.
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spelling doaj-art-7ebab6cbde104083866edeeebc4970362025-08-20T03:35:48ZengWileyClinical and Developmental Immunology1740-25221740-25302003-01-01102-414115110.1080/10446670310001626508Temporary, but Essential Requirement of CD8+ T Cells Early in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes in BB Rats as Revealed by Thymectomy and CD8 DepletionHerman Groen0Flip Klatter1Jennie Pater2Paul Nieuwenhuis3Jan Rozing4Department of Cell Biology, Immunology Section, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Cell Biology, Immunology Section, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Cell Biology, Immunology Section, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Cell Biology, Immunology Section, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Cell Biology, Immunology Section, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsAutoimmunity-prone BB rats demonstrate a T lymphocytopenia and abnormal T cell subset distribution. To test whether the life span of all T cells or only of certain subsets is reduced in BB rats, we thymectomised 8-week-old BB and PVG rats and subsequently assessed size and composition of the T cell population over a 6-week-period. In both strains, thymectomy (Tx) was followed by a decrease in peripheral T cell numbers, which was proportionally larger in BB rats. The decline of the Thy-1+ recent thymic migrant (RTM) T cell phenotype was similar in both strains. BB rats showed a rapid preferential loss of CD8+ and CD45RC+ T cells, whereas the relative loss of RT6+ T cells was proportional to that of all T cells and not significantly different from that in PVG rats. Tx at 8-week did not prevent diabetes. Tx of 4-week-old BB rats revealed essentially the same changes in peripheral T cell subset distribution as in 8-week-old animals. However, Tx at week 4 did prevent diabetes. Since this raised the possibility of a temporary requirement of CD8+ T cells for the development of diabetes, we performed CD8 depletions during different pre-diabetic intervals. We found that CD8 depletion from 4 to 8 and 4 to 14 weeks, but not from 8 to 14 weeks of age prevented diabetes. We conclude that the protective effect of early adult Tx is, at least in part, due to the rapid loss of CD8+ T cells, and that these cells are only required between 4 and 8 weeks of age for diabetes to develop in BB rats.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10446670310001626508
spellingShingle Herman Groen
Flip Klatter
Jennie Pater
Paul Nieuwenhuis
Jan Rozing
Temporary, but Essential Requirement of CD8+ T Cells Early in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes in BB Rats as Revealed by Thymectomy and CD8 Depletion
Clinical and Developmental Immunology
title Temporary, but Essential Requirement of CD8+ T Cells Early in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes in BB Rats as Revealed by Thymectomy and CD8 Depletion
title_full Temporary, but Essential Requirement of CD8+ T Cells Early in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes in BB Rats as Revealed by Thymectomy and CD8 Depletion
title_fullStr Temporary, but Essential Requirement of CD8+ T Cells Early in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes in BB Rats as Revealed by Thymectomy and CD8 Depletion
title_full_unstemmed Temporary, but Essential Requirement of CD8+ T Cells Early in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes in BB Rats as Revealed by Thymectomy and CD8 Depletion
title_short Temporary, but Essential Requirement of CD8+ T Cells Early in the Pathogenesis of Diabetes in BB Rats as Revealed by Thymectomy and CD8 Depletion
title_sort temporary but essential requirement of cd8 t cells early in the pathogenesis of diabetes in bb rats as revealed by thymectomy and cd8 depletion
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10446670310001626508
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