Diabetes mellitus, islet-cell antibodies, and HLA-B8 in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Evidence that autoimmune mechanisms may provide a possible explanation for the occurrence of some types of diabetes mellitus has included the clinical association of diabetes with other autoimmune conditions and the serologic demonstration of organ-specific antibodies. This article reports the case of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus accompanied by diabetes and the presence of antibodies to pancreatic islet cells. This represents further evidence that autoimmune activity may play a role in the etiology of diabetes mellitus, which is especially interesting in light of recent HLA antigen studies that show a possible genetic link between the two diseases.