Thyrogastric autoimmunity and MHC associated alleles at the C4 locus in patients with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes

✍ Scribed by V. J. McCann; J. McCluskey; H. Kelly; P. H. Kay; P. J. Zilko; F. T. Christiansen; R. L. Dawkins

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 214 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0012-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00275667

✦ Synopsis

HLA antigens, complement allotypes, insulin antibodies and thyrogastric autoantibodies were determined in 69 patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes defined by a tendency to ketosis, non-obesity and insulin requirement within 2 years of diagnosis. Analysis of HLA and C4 allotypes suggested that Type 1 diabetes was associated with only certain DR3- and DR4-containing supratypes. Low antibody response to insulin was associated with all HLA-DR3, being present in 89% of those with DR3 compared with 48% of those without. Thyrogastric autoantibodies were associated with a null allele at the C4A locus, usually with HLA-B8-C4AQO-C4B1-BfS-DR3. These results indicate that, unlike Type 1 diabetes, low insulin antibody response was associated with all HLA-DR3. Thyrogastric autoantibodies, on the other hand, were associated with a null allele at the C4A locus. It is probable that while interaction between certain HLA-DR3 and DR4-containing supratypes is important in conferring susceptibility to Type 1 diabetes, other manifestations of autoimmunity are associated with supratypes containing C4AQ0, and in particular the diabetogenic supratype HLA-B8-C4AQ0-C4B1-BfS-DR3.