While on average 8.3 ± 0.9 cells/μl blood co-expressed the regulatory transcription factor FoxP3 in healthy subjects, a significant (p = 0.016) 33 % reduction to 5.6 ± 0.4 cells/μl blood was evident in T2D patients (Fig. 8b). Here, FOXP3 is linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus.