IMMUNOGENETIC HETEROGENEITY IN TYPE-1 (INSULIN-DEPENDENT) DIABETES AMONG JAPANESE - CLASS-II, ANTIGEN AND AUTOIMMUNE THYROID-DISEASE

HLA-DQA1 and DPB1 alleles were examined in relation to autoimmune thyr oid disease (AITD) in the Japanese type 1 diabetic patients, The subje cts consisted of 14 type 1 diabetic patients with Graves' disease, 12 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 32 type 1 diabetic patients without AITD. Comparisons were made with 35 normal controls. Among the type 1 diabetic patients with Graves' disease, the age at onset of di abetes was 31.8 +/- 14.6 years old, which was later than that of those without AITD (P < 0.01). DR9 was increased (57.1% vs. 25.9%, P < 0.05 , RR: 3.85, chi(2): 4.36) in the patients with Graves' disease. DQA10 301 was increased and DQA10103 was decreased in the patients with Gra ves' disease and those without AITD. HLA-DPB10501 was increased (92.9 % vs. 54.3%, P < 0.05, RR: 11.0, chi(2): 6.57) in the patients with Gr aves' disease. These findings suggest the existence of a Graves' compl icated subgroup characterized by the increasing association of DPB105 01 and late onset of diabetes in Japanese type 1 diabetic patients, Th ere exists a heterogeneity in Japanese type 1 diabetes.