Cutting edge: Increased autoimmunity risk in glycogen storage disease type 1b is associated with a reduced engagement of glycolysis in T Cells and an impaired regulatory T Cell function

Glycogen storage disease type 1b (GSD-1b) is an autosomal-recessive disease caused by mutation of glucose-6-phosphate transporter and characterized by altered glycogen/glucose homeostasis. A higher frequency of autoimmune diseases has been observed in GSD-1b patients, but the molecular determinants leading to this phenomenon remain unknown. To address this question, we investigated the effect of glucose-6-phosphate transporter mutation on immune cell homeostasis and CD4(+) T cell functions. In GSD-1b subjects, we found lymphopenia and a reduced capacity of T cells to engage glycolysis upon TCR stimulation. These phenomena associated with reduced expression of the FOXP3 transcription factor, lower suppressive function in peripheral CD4(+) CD25(+) FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells, and an impaired capacity of CD4(+) CD25-conventional T cells to induce expression of FOXP3 after suboptimal TCR stimulation. These data unveil the metabolic determinant leading to an increased autoimmunity risk in GSD-1b patients.