High serum levels of soluble CD8 in insulin-dependent diabetes

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Abstract
SUMMARY: In type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (IDDM) CDS+ T cells represent the majority of lymphocytes which infiltrate the pancreatic islets during β cell destruction. Soluble CDS antigen (sCD8) has been shown to correlate with CD8 cell subset activation. In this study we measured by ELISA sCD8 levels in sera from: 33 newly diagnosed IDDM patients; 29 type 1 diabetics with duration of disease more than 1 year; 37 healthy siblings of IDDM patients; 19 healthy controls. Sera from both groups of IDDM patients and from healthy siblings exhibited soluble CDS mean levels significantly higher than controls (P=0·0001, P<0·003, P<0·03 respectively). Soluble CD8 levels above the normal range (mean±2 s.d. of controls) were found in a percentage of newly diagnosed subjects (54·5%) significantly higher than in subjects with a long-standing duration of disease (6·9%, P<0·0005) and healthy siblings (16·2%, P0·002). Our results suggest that the raised levels of soluble CD8 near lo diabetes onset may indicate the activation of CD8+ T cells probably responsible for the autoimmune β cell destruction.