FOXP3 and diabetes mellitus: We report here that the percentages of CD4+Foxp3+ cell populations in the periphery of NOD mice in our animal facility are significantly lower in comparison to non-autoimmune-prone B6 mice beginning at about 10 weeks of age, i.e., shortly before high blood glucose is first detected in our facility at ~12 weeks of age (these mice would be considered peridiabetic; mice develop full-blown diabetes at ~13-15 weeks in our facility).