title: Human lymphocyte antigen DR types in relation to early clinical manifestations in diabetic children.
abstract: Human lymphocyte antigen (HLA)-DR-typing was performed in 117 insulin-dependent diabetics with age at onset between 0.5 and 17 years (mean +/- SD, 9.0 +/- 3.9); 115 of 117 patients were DR3- and/or DR4-positive. DR4 was very common, seen alone or in combination with other DR types in 82.9% of the patients. Only two children were DR2-positive, but they also were DR4-positive. A comparison between DR3 and DR4 patients showed that DR4 patients manifested a seasonal variation of onset (most common onset during spring and autumn), had more severe signs and symptoms of the disease at onset, and were less likely to have a partial remission than patients with DR3. The results support the hypothesis that insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a genetically heterogeneous disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen; D006238:Haploidy; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II