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HLA class II alleles and susceptibility and resistance to insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in Mexican-American families

Abstract

The role of HLA class II alleles in genetic predisposition to insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was examined by PCR/oligonucleotide probe typing of 42 Mexican-American IDDM families derived from Hispanic Caucasians and Native Americans. All high risk haplotypes (HLA-DR3 and DR4) were of European origin while the most strongly protective haplotype (DRB1*1402) was Native American. Of the 16 DR-DQ DR4 haplotypes identified, only those bearing DQB1*0302 conferred risk; the DRB1 allele, however, also markedly influenced IDDM risk. The general pattern of neutral and protective haplotypes indicates that the presence of Asp-57 in the HLA-DQβ chain does not confer IDDM protection per se and indicates that both DRB1 and DQB1 influence IDDM susceptibility as well as protection.

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Erlich, H., Zeidler, A., Chang, J. et al. HLA class II alleles and susceptibility and resistance to insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in Mexican-American families. Nat Genet 3, 358–364 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0493-358

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