HLA class II antigens in South African blacks with type I diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is poorly characterised in many African communitie s, including South Africa, where little is known of the disease epidemiolog y. This study aimed to identify the HLA class II alleles associated with ty pe 1 diabetes in a group of Zulu subjects in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal by PCR-S SP. The HLA alleles associated with type 1 diabetes included HLA-DQB*0302 ( P <0.0001), DRB1*O9 (P <0.0001), DRB1*04 (P=0.002), DRB1*0301 (P=0.003), DQ B*02 (P=0.004) and DQA*03 (P=0.035). Estimated haplotypes positively associ ated with type 1 diabetes included HLA-DRB1 *0301-DQA*0501, DRB1*04-DQA*03, DRB1*04-DQB*0302, DRB1*0301-DQB*0201, D&A*0501-DQB*0201 and D&A*03-DQB*030 2. These findings are similar to those reported from Zimbabwe and other pop ulations with type 1 diabetes.