HLA-DRB1 ALLELES CONTRIBUTE TO DETERMINING THE PROGNOSIS OF JAPANESE DIABETES-MELLITUS POSITIVE FOR ANTIBODIES TO GLUTAMATE-DECARBOXYLASE

Diabetes mellitus positive for antibodies to glutamate decarboxylase i s heterogeneous as far as the degree of impairment of endogenous insul in release, though antibodies to glutamate decarboxylase are the most useful marker for future insulin deficiency. To investigate what deter mines the prognosis of diabetes mellitus positive for antibodies to gl utamate decarboxylase, we measured HLA-DRB1 alleles in three groups: 7 7 cases of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), 44 of non-insul in-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with secondary failure of oral hypoglycemic therapy, and 22 of NIDDM well controlled by diet and/or s ulfonylurea agents. The proportion of susceptible and resistant allele s to IDDM determined the degree of insulin deficiency, and comparison of IDDM to NIDDM well controlled by diet and/or sulfonylurea agents re vealed significant differences in DRB10405 (P < 0.05; RR = 2.82 and R R = 0.89, respectively) and DRB11502 (P < 0.001; RR = 0.02 and RR = 2 .19, respectively). This study revealed that HLA-DRB1 alleles contribu te to determining the prognosis of Japanese diabetes mellitus positive for antibodies to glutamate decarboxylase.