HLA antigens and age at diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Abstract

IDDM results from the immune-mediated destruction of pancreatic islet β cells. Clinicopathologic heterogeneity in IDDM is reflected in part by the wide age range over which the onset of clinical symptoms can occur, after months to years of subclinical "insulitis." Because MHC genes play a critical role in immune function we studied their possible contribution to IDDM heterogeneity by analyzing HLA profiles of 194 IDDM patients in relation to their age at diagnosis. Restriction of HLA-DR heterogeneity was observed in patients diagnosed before age 21 years. Frequencies of DR3 and DR 3 4 were highest in the ≤6-year-old age group and thereafter declined with increasing age at diagnosis. In contr..