Molecular signatures differentiate immune states in Type 1 Diabetes families

The complex milieu of inflammatory mediators associated with many diseases is often too dilute to directly measure in the periphery, necessitating development of more sensitive measurements suitable for mechanistic studies, earlier diagnosis, guiding selection of therapy, and monitoring interventions. Previously, we determined that plasma of recent-onset (RO) Type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients induce a proinflammatory transcriptional signature in fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) relative to that of unrelated healthy controls (HC). Here, using an optimized cryopreserved PBMC-based protocol, we analyzed larger RO T1D, HC, and healthy T1D sibling cohorts. In addition, we examined T1D progression by looking at longitudinal samples. UPN727 cells were stimulated with Auto-antibody-negative (AA-) High HLA Risk Siblings plasma (n=30), Auto-antibody-negative (AA-) Low HLA Risk Siblings plasma (n=42), Recent onset T1DM plasma cultured with IL1RA (n=42), or longitudinal series plasma on T1DM progressor (n=27 chips, 5 series), on auto-antibody-positive (AA+) High HLA Risk Siblings (n=54 chips, 9 series), on auto-antibody-negative (AA-) High HLA Risk Siblings (n=60 chips, 12 series), on auto-antibody-negative (AA-) Low HLA Risk Siblings (n=31 chips, 6 series). Gene expression analysis was perfromed in order to evaluate the transcriptional signature associated with T1D.