HLA-DR ALLELES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IDDM, BUT NOT WITH IMPAIRED NEUTROPHIL CHEMOTAXIS IN IDDM

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is a risk factor for period ontitis. Depressed neutrophil chemotaxis has been demonstrated in IDDM and in early-onset periodontitis (EOP). HLA-DR antigens are associate d with both IDDM and periodontitis. This investigation sought to deter mine an association of HLA-DR3, -DR4, and -DR53 with impaired neutroph il chemotaxis in an IDDM sample. The neutrophil chemotaxis index of 41 diabetics and 27 controls was determined by a modified Boyden chamber method, and certain class II HLA genotypes were determined by polymer ase chain-reaction amplification of genomic DNA by means of sequence-s pecific primers (PCR-SSP). The mean chemotaxis index of the diabetics was significantly less than that of the controls (p less than or equal to 0.02). HLA-DRS (p less than or equal to 0.002), -DR4 (p < 0.003), and -DR53 (p less than or equal to 0.001) were associated with IDDM. N eutrophil chemotaxis and glucose metabolism were not significantly cor related. None of the HLA-DR alleles was associated with impaired neutr ophil chemotaxis. Therefore, the neutrophil chemotaxis defect of IDDM appears to be independent of these HLA-DR-associated genes.