Characterization of immunoregulatory T lymphocytes in insulin-dependent diabetic children by means of monoclonal antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies of the OKT series were used to identify total T lymphocytes (OKT3+) and their helper (OKT4+) and suppressor-cytotoxic (OKT8+) and suppressor-cytotoxic (OKT8+) subsets in 34 insulin-dependent diabetic children and in 39 young healthy controls. The diabetics have a moderate but significant reduction of the proportions of total T lymphocytes at the expense of the T helper subset; the proportion of suppressor-cytotoxic cells are normal. These abnormalities of the lymphocyte subpopulations are not related to the duration of diabetes, the control of the disease nor to the presence of autoimmune phenomena. The latter were found in 51.4% of patients.