Juvenile diabetes mellitus: HLA-antigen frequencies dependent on the age of onset of the disease.

A close correlation between juvenile mellitus and HLA-B8, HLA-BW15 and HLA-CW3 was found. Association of these antigens with juvenile diabetes mellitus was closely dependent on the ages of onset of the disease. Frequencies of BW15 and CW3 showed a remarkably low incidence in the childhood diabetics (0-15 years old) and were found increased in the patients with later (16 years or older) onset diabetes. HLA-B8 frequencies were found increased in all the groups of diabetics with different ages of onset. These findings point to the importance of HLA-B8 in childhood and HLA-B8, BW15 and CW3 in the later onset juvenile onset diabetes mellitus (JOD).