Impaired Processing and Presentation by MHC Class II Proteins in Human Diabetic Cells

The biochemical processing of and Ag presentation by MHC class II molecules were examined in B cell lines derived from pairs of identical twins discordant for type 1 diabetes. MHC class II defects detected exclusively in cells derived from the twins with autoimmunity included increased rates of transport to and subsequent turnover at the cell surface, inadequate glycosylation, and a reduced display at the cell surface of antigenic peptides. These defects appeared to be secondary to a decreased abundance of the p35 isoform of the invariant chain (Ii), a human-specific chaperone protein for MHC class II normally generated by use of an alternative translation start site. Stable transfection of diabetic B cell lines with an Ii p35 expression vector corrected the defects in MHC class II processing and peptide presentation. A defect in the expression of Ii p35 may thus result in impairment of Ag presentation by MHC class II molecules and thereby contribute to the development of type 1 diabetes in at-risk genotypes.