Percentage of LFA-1+ and ICAM-1+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes does not distinguish patients with vascular complications

There are only few studies evaluating lymphocytes activation in the diabetic vascular complications. ICAM-1/LFA-1 adhesion molecules not only participate in the lymphocyte T proliferation but also mediate leukocyte migration to the site of inflammation. We assess a relationship between the percentage of ICAM-1 and LFA-1 expressing PBMCs and the evolution of vascular complications in T1D in children and adolescents. The study was carried out on 60 children and adolescents with T1D (aged 9-20): (a) T1D lasting 5 years (n=20), without complications c) T1D lasting >5 years complicated with microalbuminuria, arterial hypertension, diabetic retinopathy (20 n). 20 healthy volunteers, age and sex matched constituted the control group. The expression of adhesion molecules was evaluated by using three-color flow cytometry. In children and adolescents with T1D 5 years without vascular complications and in T1D with vascular disease the percentage of LFA-1+ T lymphocytes was significantly reduced in the peripheral blood (p