A predictive CD8+ T cell phenotype for T1DM progression.

In a cross-sectional study of individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus, those who were designated to be slow disease progressors had an increased proportion of autoreactive, islet-specific CD8+ T cells expressing an ‘exhausted’ phenotype. By contrast, rapid disease progressors had increased numbers of islet-specific CD8+ T cells with a transitional memory phenotype.