Genetic relationships between type I and type II diabetes mellitus.

We propose that at least certain subsets of Type I and Type II diabetes share factor(s) responsible for genetic susceptibility. The data presented here to support this contention include: 1. A significantly increased cumulative risk (CR40) to age 40 for Type I diabetes in sibs of probands in families with a Type II diabetic parent (Type II diabetic parent: CR40-24.7 +/- 10.7%; normal parent: CR40 = 7.5 +/- 2.0%, x2 = 12.8, p less than 0.0005). 2. The relative risk (RR) for HLA DR4 in Type I diabetic probands with a Type II diabetic parent is higher than in probands with normal parents (RR = 2.4). 3. The haptoglobin genotype 2-2 is increased in Type I diabetics with Type II parents and the sharing of both HLA and haptoglobin haplotypes in affected sib pairs is distorted with an excess sharing of both haplotypes.