HLA-associated heterogeneity of the humoral response to islet antigens in insulin-dependent diabetes.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is associated with susceptibility HLA class II alleles. Islet cell antibodies (ICA), detected by indirect immunofluorescence on pancreas sections, represent the best marker of the disease. Autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA), one major islet antigen, do not totally account for ICA reactivity, suggesting heterogeneity of the anti-islet humoral response. In 97 patients with IDDM we have correlated ICA heterogeneity with clinical markers and DR and DQ alleles. ICA were found in 81% of the patients, and in 33% the serum blocked the binding to islet cells of reference sera with a granular fluorescence pattern. GADA were found in 62% of cases. Patients with high GADA titers and blocking sera were older at onset and less often had a family history of IDDM, suggesting that these antibodies might be a marker of slow progression to IDDM. ICAs were not associated with particular HLA DR or DQ alleles. Conversely, GADA were less frequent than ICA in DR4 subjects but not in the other groups. Moreover, among DR4 non-DR3 patients, GADA were found almost exclusively in DRB1*0401 patients but not in other DR4 subtypes. There was an association of GADA with DQ alleles but it was secondary to linkage disequilibrium between DR and DQ loci. In conclusion, the heterogeneity of the humoral response in IDDM is controlled by HLA class II genes and correlates with clinical heterogeneity.