Unlike PD-L1, PD-1 Is Downregulated on Partial Immune Cells in Type 2 Diabetes

• Main Authors: Peng Sun, Qingyan Jin, Shengnan Nie, Shijie Jia, Yuanyuan Li, Xiaoxue Li, Fang Guo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2019-01-01
• Series: Journal of Diabetes Research
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/5035261

Introduction. Type 2 diabetes is a worldwide disease which is associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation. The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway has been reported to be a negative regulatory element in immune homeostasis and to be involved in many diseases. Materials and Methods. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from type 2 diabetes patients (n=23) and healthy donors (n=20). The PD-L1 and PD-1 expressions on corresponding immune cells were evaluated by flow cytometry. Results. The PD-L1 expression on corresponding immune cells has no significant difference between these two groups. We showed the downregulated PD-1 expression in type 2 diabetes patients. The correlation analysis indicated that the PD-1 on NK cells has a positive correlation with insulin and diabetes duration. And an inverse correlation has been shown between the PD-1 expression on monocytes and BMI (body mass index). Conclusions. The results in this article suggest that PD-1, unlike PD-L1, might participate in the progression of type 2 diabetes. This investigation will provide evidence for the potential immune therapy for T2D.