T-lymphocyte subsets in human non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type II) studied by two-color flow cytometry.

We report the immunological characteristics of human peripheral T lymphocytes and behavior of PHA-stimulated lymphocytes in Type II diabetes mellitus, investigated two-color flow cytometry. The subsets of Leu11+Leu7+, Leu11-Leu7+ and Leu7+Leu2+ were decreased significantly in peripheral Natural Killer cells. After PHA stimulation the T-cell subsets demonstrated a decrease in the inducer subset and in the cytotoxic subset. The helper cell subset showed a negative regression with HbA1. The cytotoxic cell subset showed a positive regression with HbA1 and also FBS. The CD4/CD8 ratio, and the IL2+Leu2+ subset, showed a negative regressions with HbA1, and the diabetic duration, respectively. Thus, these results are a further demonstration of changes in lymphocytes in NIDDM.