Oral Presentations - Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies

S16 Abstracts
F.1 Thyroid Function and Prevalence of
Anti-Thyroid Antibodies in Iranian Patients with
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Influences of Age and Sex
Faranak Sharifi, Endocrinologist, Zanjan University of
Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Leila Ghasemi Hashtroodi,
Resident for Internal Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical
Sciences, Zanjan, Yahya Jaberi, Assistant Professor, Zanjan
University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan
Objective: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is frequently associated
with autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD). Genetic
susceptibility to autoantibody formation in association with
ATD and type 1 diabetes mellitus has been described with
varying frequencies, but there is still debate about the
situation in Iran. We have, therefore, investigated the
prevalence of anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and antithyroglobulin
(anti-TG) antibodies in type 1 diabetic patients,
and compared the effect of age and sex on the thyroid
autoimmunity in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in
Iran. Subjects and Methods: Ninety one subjects with type 1
diabetes mellitus and one hundred and sixty three unrelated
normal controls under age thirty were recruited for the
detection of anti-TPO and anti-TG. Radioimmunoassay was
used for anti-TPO and anti-TG detection respectively.
Results: Among 91 type 1 diabetic patients, 36 (39.6%)
were positive for anti-TPO and 27 (30%) were positive for
anti-TG. Anti-TPO antibodies were detected only in 6.7% of
control group. Compared with those without thyroid autoimmunity,
there was a female preponderance for the type 1
diabetic patients with thyroid autoimmunity (female: male,
28:14 vs. 28:20 respectively). Among the type 1 diabetic
patients those with thyroid autoimmunity tended to have
older age (p: 0.04) and higher TSH concentration (p: 0.03).
Patients with high anti-TPO levels had longer duration of
diabetes (p: 0.02). Conclusion: The presence of anti-TPO in
39.6% of our type 1 diabetic patients compared with 8.5% of
normal subjects confirmed the strong association of ATD and
type 1 diabetes mellitus.
doi:10.1016/j.clim.2007.03.214
Poster Sessions
Friday, June 8
7:30 am−7:00 pm
Authors Present: 5:45 pm−7:00 pm
F.2 Reduced Foxp3 and Interleukin 10 Expression
During the Partial Remission Phase of Type 1
Diabetes in Children
Srinath Sanda, Clinical Fellow, University of California, San
Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, Bart Roep,
Associate Professor, Department of Immunohematology and
Blood Transfusion Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden,
Matthias von Herrath, Professor, Developmental
Immunology at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and
Immunology, La Jolla, CA
Background: Some children undergo a reduction in insulin
requirements after diagnosis and initiation of insulin
therapy. The exact mechanism underlying this partial
remission phase (also known as the honeymoon phase) of
type 1 diabetes in children is not known. Study Design: We
conducted a cross-sectional study comparing peripheral
blood T cell responses by ELISPOT and flow cytometry
between a cohort of newly diagnosed children with type 1
diabetes at initiation of insulin therapy and a cohort of
children in the honeymoon phase. Children were classified
in the honeymoon phase if they were between 3 and
9 months from diagnosis, had a total daily insulin requirement
of b0.5 U/kg/day, and had experienced a N50%
reduction in their total daily insulin dose since diagnosis. Six
children were recruited in each group. Results: Honeymoon
patients were on average 7.4 months from diagnosis and had
significantly reduced insulin doses and hemoglobin A1c
levels compared to new onset patients. Both cohorts had
similar numbers of peripheral CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+CD25+
cells. Honeymoon patients had fewer numbers of peripheral
CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells compared to newly diagnosed
patients (37.3% ±23% vs. 57.8±27.8% p=0.054). ELISPOT
assays using epitopes to GAD65, IA2, and proinsulin,
demonstrated a trend for increased interferon-gamma
production and reduced interleukin-10 production in the
honeymoon patients. Conclusion: Reduced numbers of
peripheral blood CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ and interleukin 10
producing cells are seen in type 1 diabetes patients during
their honeymoon phase compared to patients at diagnosis.
doi:10.1016/j.clim.2007.03.215
F.3 A Novel Cell-based Therapeutic Approach to
Prevent and Cure Autoimmune Type I Diabetes in
NOD Mice
Dong Zhang, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Medical
School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA,
Yan Tian, Research Assistant, Harvard Medical School, Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, Nicolas
Degauque, Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School, Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, Wei Yang,
Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, Allison Mikita,
Research Assistant, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, Xin Xiao Zheng,
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA