HLA-DQ beta 1 typing and non-Asp57 alleles in the aborigine population of Senegal.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate, in Senegalese subjects, the frequency of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ beta 1 alleles and their role in susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

HLA-DQ beta 1 typing was done in 55 IDDM subjects and 118 nondiabetic control subjects by means of polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism.

RESULTS

Alleles bearing a codon for an Asp residue at position 57 in the DQ beta-chain were associated with a significantly lower risk of IDDM. Alleles 0201 and 0302 (Ala57) were positively associated with diabetes, but allele 0501 (Val57) was less frequent in IDDM subjects than in control subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

HLA-DQ beta 1 alleles may be genetic susceptibility markers for IDDM in the Senegalese population, as they are in Caucasian populations.