Analytical and functional studies on the T cells of untreated and immunologically tolerant diabetes-prone BB rats.

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Abstract
Lymphocyte profiles of untreated diabetes-prone BB rats (BBDP) and their normal marrow-inoculated tolerant littermates were determined with the aid of a fluorescence-activated cell sorter by using monoclonal antibodies specific for rat T cell (W3/13) and T cell subsets (W3/25, T helper; OX8, T cytotoxic/suppressor). In contrast to non-diabetes-prone rats and to their marrow-inoculated littermates, untreated BBDP rats were found to be T lymphocytopenic with reduced W3/25+ cells and with a major loss of OX8+ cells. Moreover, their lymphocytes displayed depressed alloreactivity that was not restored by addition of exogenous IL 2.