Reduced diabetes in btk-deficient nonobese diabetic mice and restoration of diabetes with provision of an anti-insulin IgH chain transgene

Peggy L. Kendall, Daniel J. Moore, Chrys Hulbert, Kristen L. Hoek, Wasif N. Khan, James W. Thomas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes results from T cell-mediated destruction of insulin-producing β cells. Although elimination of B lymphocytes has proven successful at preventing disease, modulation of B cell function as a means to prevent type 1 diabetes has not been investigated. The development, fate, and function of B lymphocytes depend upon BCR signaling, which is mediated in part by Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK). When introduced into NOD mice, btk deficiency only modestly reduces B cell numbers, but dramatically protects against diabetes. In NOD, btk deficiency mirrors changes in B cell subsets seen in other strains, but also improves B cell-related tolerance, as indicated by failure to generate insulin autoantibodies. Introduction of an antiinsulin BCR H chain transgene restores diabetes in btk-deficient NOD mice, indicating that btk-deficient B cells are functionally capable of promoting autoimmune diabetes if they have a critical autoimmune specificity. This suggests that the disease-protective effect of btk deficiency may reflect a lack of autoreactive specificities in the B cell repertoire. Thus, signaling via BTK can be modulated to improve B cell tolerance, and prevent T cell-mediated autoimmune diabetes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6403-6412
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Immunology
Volume183
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 15 2009

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