Major histocompatibility class II genes polymorphism in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus with or without associated thyroid autoimmunity
Abstract
Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is sometimes associated with extrapancreatic organ-specific autoimmune diseases, but whether this phenotype results from a peculiar genetic profile is still unclear. The allelic distribution of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes (HLA-DRB1, DQA1, DQB1 and TAP) was analysed in 143 patients with IDDM alone by comparison with 82 IDDM patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (IDDM/AITD). The frequency of the DQB1*0301 IDDM-protective phenotype seemed to be lower in IDDM than in IDDM/AITD patients (16.8% vs 30.5% respectively, p = 0.02). By contrast, the frequency of the DRB1*04-DQB1*0302 IDDM-predisposing phenotype was higher in IDDM than in IDDM/AITD patients (91.3% vs 76.1% of DR4-positive patients respectively, p = 0.007), but these differences were not significant after correcting the p values, except in the case of the DRB1*0405-DQB1*0302 combination (21.3% vs 2.4% of DR4-positive patients, Pc = 0.05). Furthermore, all differences disappeared when patients were matched for age at IDDM-onset. Our data do not long give support for a particular role of MHC class II genes in favouring the occurrence of thyroid autoimmunity in IDDM patients, but rather suggest that so...Continue Reading
References
Sequences encoded in the class II region of the MHC related to the 'ABC' superfamily of transporters
HLA-DQ beta gene contributes to susceptibility and resistance to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
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