Refereed journal article or data article (A1)
Innate immune activity is detected prior to seroconversion in children with HLA-conferred type 1 diabetes susceptibility.
List of Authors: Kallionpää Henna, Elo Laura, Laajala Essi, Mykkänen Juha, Ricaño-Ponce Isis, Vaarma Matti, Laajala Teemu Daniel, Hyöty Heikki, Ilonen Jorma, Veijola Riitta, Simell Tuula, Wijmenga Cisca, Knip Mikael, Lähdesmäki Harri, Simell Olli, Lahesmaa Riitta
Publisher: American Diabetes Association
Place: New York
Publication year: 2014
Journal: Diabetes
Journal acronym: Diabetes
Volume number: 63
Issue number: 7
Start page: 2402
End page: 2414
Number of pages: 13
ISSN: 0012-1797
eISSN: 1939-327X
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/db13-1775
The insult leading to autoantibody development in children who will progress to develop type 1 diabetes (T1D) has remained elusive. To investigate the genes and molecular pathways in the pathogenesis of this disease, we performed genome-wide transcriptomics analysis on a unique series of prospective whole-blood RNA samples from at-risk children collected in the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention study. We studied 28 autoantibody-positive children, out of which 22 progressed to clinical disease. Collectively, the samples covered the time span from before the development of autoantibodies (seroconversion) through the diagnosis of diabetes. Healthy control subjects matched for date and place of birth, sex, and HLA-DQB1 susceptibility were selected for each case. Additionally, we genotyped the study subjects with Immunochip to identify potential genetic variants associated with the observed transcriptional signatures. Genes and pathways related to innate immunity functions, such as the type 1 interferon (IFN) response, were active, and IFN response factors were identified as central mediators of the IFN-related transcriptional changes. Importantly, this signature was detected already before the T1D-associated autoantibodies were detected. Together, these data provide a unique resource for new hypotheses explaining T1D biology.