Influence of metabolic and genetic factors on tumour necrosis factor-alpha and lymphotoxin-alpha production in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The potential role of tumour necrosis factors (TNFs) in autoimmunity and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) led us to determine in vitro TNF-alpha and lymphotoxin-alpha (LT-alpha, TNF-beta) production in IDDM patients according to TNF polymorphism. LT-alpha production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was lower in diabetic subjects (m = 0.30 +/- 0.2 ng.10(-6) cells) than controls (m = 0.68 +/- 0.3 ng.10(-6) cells, p < 0.05), and early age-at-onset was correlated with low LT-alpha production (rs = 0.8, p = 0.0006). TNF-alpha production was the same in patients and controls, but patients with HbA1c > or = 8% had a higher TNF-alpha production (m = 3.05 +/- 1.2 ng.10(-6) cells) than those with HbA1c < 8% (m = 1.31 +/- 0.33 ng.10(-6) cells, p < 0.05). A study of the microsatellite TNFa region close to the LTA gene showed that the presence of the TNFa1 allele in HLA-(DR3) subjects was associated with increased risk of IDDM. TNFa1-positive subjects (both patients and controls) also had lower LT-alpha production than other subjects. These results indicate that low LT-alpha production is an additional risk factor for IDDM and that poor glycaemic control in patients is associated with enhanced PBMC TNF-alpha production which causes an imbalance between TNF-alpha and LT-alpha production in IDDM patient.

Life table analysis of the risk of type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in siblings according to islet cell antibodies and HLA markers. An 8-year prospective study.

To determine whether genetic markers can improve the predictive value of islet cell antibodies for development of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, 536 siblings aged 2-29 years were consecutively enrolled in a 8-year prospective survey. The risk of developing diabetes was estimated, using life-table methods, by years of follow-up and age, according to genetic factors (shared HLA-haplotypes, DR antigens, C4 allotypes) and islet cell antibody status. Fifteen siblings (2.8%) developed Type 1 diabetes during the study period (risk 4.4% after 8 years, 4% by age 22 years). DR3,4 heterozygosity identified higher risk (16% after 8 years, 12% by age 22 years, p less than 10(-5)) than HLA-identity (10% and 7%, respectively, p less than 0.01); risks for DR3 or DR4 positive and for haplo-identical siblings were low (4%, 3% and 4.4%, respectively, NS). C4BQO also conferred significant risk (11% vs 3% in non-C4BQO siblings, p less than 0.01). The predictive value of genetic markers alone was poor (12% for DR3,4, 7% for HLA-identity, 9% for C4BQO) compared with that of islet cell antibody levels greater than 4 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation units (41%, risk 56% after 8 years, p less than 10(-7)). HLA markers significantly contributed to risk prediction in combination with islet cell antibodies: islet cell antibody-positive DR3,4+ subjects had the highest risk (70% after 8 years, predictive value 58%, p less than 10(-7)) compared with islet cell antibody-positive DR3,4- (37% and 20%, respectively) and islet cell antibody-negative DR3,4+ (5% and 3.6%, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Marked shortage of C4B DNA polymorphism among insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

TaqI, BamHI and HinddIII polymorphisms of the C4 genes were studied with a 500-bp C4 cDNA probe (pAT-A153) specific for the 5' end of the gene. The restriction patterns obtained were correlated with the C4A and C4B genotypes in 35 patients suffering from insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), and results were compared to those from 40 healthy individuals. The controls, all Caucasian, were genotyped for HLA-A, B, C, DR, Bf, C2 and C4, together with 10 diabetics and their families; haplotypes for the other patients had been deduced using DNA and protein polymorphism, and taking into consideration linkage disequilibrium for neighbouring loci. No significant difference between genotypes at the C4A locus was seen in either population. The C4A gene deletion, associated with a C4B "short" gene (66.7%), was found mainly in the haplotype B8,Cw7,DR3,BfS,C2C, C4AQOB1, and the C4B gene deletion in the haplotype B18,Cw5,DR3,BfF1, C2C,C4A3BQO. When diabetic patients were compared with normal individuals, we observed, at the C4B locus, a decrease in the C4B "long" gene (22% vs. 49% respectively, p less than 0.001). A compensatory increase was observed in patients vs. controls for the frequency of C4BQO, both in the deleted and intact form (26% vs. 10% respectively, p less than 0.03).

[Problems presented by the genetics of atopic dermatitis]. / Problèmes posés par la génétique de la dermatite atopique.

The role of heredity in atopic dermatitis has been known since the 19th century. However, the method of transmission has not been clarified. Studies in twins have been the most interesting and show a greater risk of monozygotes. The work shows a relationship between HLA and atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is truly a multifactorial illness, the development of which depends not only on one, but several genetic systems, which may be independent or perhaps acting together, and also on environmental factors of which the influence is predominant.

[Immuno-allergic thrombopenias and leukopenias induced by drugs]. / Thrombopénies et leucopénies immuno-allergiques d'origine médicamenteuse.

Certain types of cytopenia are due to the destruction of blood cells by an antibody, active only in conjunction with a drug which has previously provoked sensitivity in patients when administered in standard doses. Drug-induced thrombocytopenia and leucopenia of allergic origin are relatively rare. They produce characteristic symptoms, i.e. brutal onset and acute development of the disease; healing takes place when the drug in question is withdrawn. Haematological diseases of drug-related aetiology are being brought to light by serological methods which detect the specific antibody for the drug responsible for the accident. The physiopathological mechanism is still not clearly elucidated.

[Increased risk of insulin-dependent diabetes for siblings of diabetic children with the DR 3 haplotype of the mother]. / Risque accru de diabète insulino-dépendant pour les germains d'enfants diabétiques ayant reçu l'haplotype DR 3 de la mère.

Among 285 caucasoid families genotyped for HLA-A, B, C, DR including at least one insulin-dependent diabetic child, we have studied the effect of the DR3 and DR4 antigens inherited from the father or the mother (DR3p, DR3m, DR4p and DR4m, respectively) on the recurrence of the disease among siblings; families with affected parents being excluded, a total of 37 affected and 200 non affected siblings have been taken into consideration. Among the DR3, DR4 positive siblings, the DR4p/DR3m genotype was observed at a greater frequency than the DR3p/DR4m genotype among affected, but not among unaffected siblings. Comparing the respective frequencies between affected and unaffected siblings, the relative risk was 8.1 (p less than 10(-6) among DR4p/DR3m positive siblings, but is was not significantly increased among DR3p/DR4m positive siblings. The excess of maternal DR3 among affected siblings of diabetic children could be due to a gestational event associated with HLA-DR3, e.g. education of the fetal immune repertoire or the transmission of a viral infection by the mother to the fetus during pregnancy, after reactivation of the latent viral disease.

[Study of the HLA system and glyoxalase in 31 insulin-dependent diabetics free from micro and macro-angiopathies after more than a 20-year development]. / Etude du système HLA et de la glyoxalase chez 31 sujets diabétiques insulinodépendants indemnes de micro et macro angiopathie après plus de 20 ans d'évolution.

Insulin-dependent diabetics are not equal as concerns vascular complications. Many factors have been incriminated. The object of this study was to determine if a genetic factor protected the insulin-dependent diabetic from vascular complications. The population included 31 unrelated, white insulin-dependent diabetic subjects (18 females and 13 males), with diabetes of over 20 years' duration (21 to 43 years, m +/- SD 27.82 +/- 6.03 years; age at diagnosis: 2 to 57 years, m +/- SD 22.7 +/- 15.19 years). The absence of vascular lesions was checked for by the following investigations: visual acuity, fundoscopic examination, retinal fluorescein angiography (Canon F 60 Z), systolic pressure on the thigh and ankle, Doppler velocimetry, plethysmography of the lower limbs, serum creatinine level, urinary protein. The study of the HLA A, B, DR specificities was carried out using the Tersaki microlymphocytotoxicity assay, those of C4 by high voltage gel electrophoresis followed by hemolytic detection, those of B1 using Alper's method and those of glyoxalase by gel electrophoresis followed by a glutathione redox reaction in order to test for a marker for a possible protective genetic factor against complications. The antigen frequencies found were compared with: 1) Those in the general Caucasian reference population (9th Histocompatibility Workshop, 1984). The study group presented the HLA characteristics known to occur in insulin-dependent diabetes: increase in A30, B8, B18, D6, DR3, DR4, BfF1 and decrease in A3, B7, DR2. Furthermore an increase in the frequency of DRw53, DQw2 and DQw3 alleles was noted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Two distinct HLA-DR3 haplotypes are associated with age related heterogeneity in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes.

Heterogeneity between two haplotypes in linkage disequilibrium with DR3: B8, C4AQOB1,BfS,DR3 and B18,C4A3BQO,BfF1,DR3, with regard to age at onset of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, was investigated in 325 unrelated French patients (146 males and 179 females, age at onset 1 month to 29 years) who were genotyped for HLA-A, B, C, DR and Bf and 225 of whom were typed for the C4A, B complement components. A subgroup of 82 patients and 75 control subjects were tested for DR beta and DQ beta DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism. The distribution according to age at onset and the mean ages at onset were compared between patients bearing B8, DR3 (n = 58), B18,DR3 (n = 62) or other DR3 haplotypes (Bx, DR3, n = 70), the haplotype segments C4AQOB1,DR3 (n = 41) or C4A3BQO,DR3 (n = 52) and the C4 null alleles C4AQO (N = 48) or C4BQO (n = 112) alone. The B8,DR3 haplotype, its smaller segment C4AQOB1,DR3 or C4AQO alone were associated with age at onset after 6 years (p less than 0.01, less than 0.08 and less than 0.02 respectively); on the other hand, the B18,DR3 haplotype, its segment C4A3BQO,DR3 or C4BQO alone were significantly more frequent in patients aged less than 6 years at onset (p less than 0.02, less than 0.01 and less than 0.01 respectively). Accordingly, the mean age of onset was significantly lower in the latter compared with the former patients (p less than 0.02, less than 0.02 and less than 0.01 respectively). No age-related variation was observed in BX,DR3 patients and their mean age of onset was intermediate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Organ-specific autoantibodies in HLA genotyped insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus families.

The prevalence of cytoplasmic islet cell antibodies (ICA) and extrapancreatic antibodies (EPA), (stomach, adrenal and thyroid) was investigated in 132 juvenile onset diabetic patients, without personal or familial history of other autoimmune disease, and their 31 diabetic and 402 non-diabetic first degree relatives. The prevalence of ICA was 59% in index cases and 12% in the non-affected first degree relatives. The frequency of EPA was 23% and 16% respectively. There were no sex-related differences among the patients. However, among the non-affected relatives, an increased frequency of EPA was observed in females (23%) compared to males (8%) (P less than 10-4). There was a higher prevalence of ICA in healthy relatives bearing DR3 and/or DR4 antigen combinations compared to non-DR3 and non-DR4 individuals (14% versus 5%, P less than 0.05). Furthermore, ICA were more frequent in healthy siblings sharing two haplotypes compared with one or no haplotype (21% vs 10%, P less than 0.05). These results support the heterogeneity of the autoantibodies: ICA are related closely to diabetes, decline in frequency with the duration of the disease and show association with DR3 or DR4 and the number of HLA haplotypes shared with the proband; EPA are sex related, independent of the duration of diabetes, non-HLA linked, and clustered in families with parent-offspring overtransmission, reflecting an overlapping autoimmune background.

Study of cis and trans interactions between extended HLA-haplotypes in insulin-dependent diabetes.

From the study of HLA, A, B, C, DR, Bf and C4A, C4B alleles in 287 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients and 108 controls, comparisons were made between 424 diabetic and 216 normal extended haplotypes. In the "cis" situation (haplotype), the highest relative risks (RR) for IDDM were borne by multiloci allelic associations, mainly DR/complement alleles, rather than by DR3 or DR4 considered alone. Susceptibility was strongly associated with two extended haplotypes (Aw30, Cw5, B18, C4BQ0, C4A3, BfF1, DR3 and A2, Cw3, B15, C4Bx, C4A3, BfS, DR4) or their smaller segments. Two haplotypes, S31 associated with DR2 or DR5 and F31 associated with DRw6 or DR7 had a protective effect. In the "trans" situation (opposite haplotype) the large excess of DR3/DR4 heterozygotes was not the only distortion observed. An excess of DR1 (57%) and of C4BQ0 (40%) was noted among non DR3, non DR4 haplotypes in diabetics compared to normal individuals (26% and 23%, respectively, P less than 0.01, 0.05). Homozygotes for DR3 or DR4 were not increased, and other homozygotes were decreased compared to controls. The protective antigens HLA DR2, DR5 and DR7 seemed not to be distributed randomly: their putative protective effect was not observed in the case of combination with DR1 or a B18, DR3 haplotype. DR2 was never found homozygous or combined with DR5. These results suggest that susceptibility to IDDM is generated by both cis and trans interactions between genes or gene products of the HLA region.

HLA and non-HLA phenotyping and genotyping in Austral and Gambier Polynesian Archipelagos.

Forty-one individuals from Rurutu Island (Austral Archipelagos) and 41 individuals from the Gambier Archipelagos have been typed for HLA; for blood groups ABO, Rh, MNSs, P, Kell, Kp, Lewis, Lutheran, Kidd; for the electrophoretic systems G6PD, 6-PGD, PGM1, PGM2, AcP, ADA, GPT, Est-D, GLO I, and for the immunoglobulin allotypes Gm and Km. There is a high degree of homogeneity among these Polynesian populations and among other Polynesian populations previously typed. However, small differences exist between the populations of the two archipelagos, possibly due to endogamy or to the smallness of the samples studied. A variant of HLA-Bw22 (called Bw22x) is described.

HLA haplotypes in non-familial rheumatoid arthritis.

The frequencies of HLA-A, B, C, DR, and BF haplotypes in 44 unrelated Caucasian patients with definite seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were compared with haplotype frequencies in controls. Overall, the patients had an increased risk for HLA-DR4, DR3, and DR2 antigens, but frequencies of certain DR4 or DR3 haplotypes were not increased, suggesting the importance of other HLA loci for the evaluation of risk. The presence of DR4 alone was not found to produce an increased risk for RA since the frequencies of certain DR4 haplotypes were similar in patients and controls. Increased frequencies of HLA-B18, DR4, HLA-B15, DR4, and HLA-A1, B8, Cw7, DR3 haplotypes were found in patients. RA susceptibility has been found to be associated with the last two haplotypes in some studies of multiple case families, suggesting that similar genetic mechanisms may underlie the disease in familial and sporadic forms.

[Risk factors in insulin-dependent diabetes]. / Facteurs de risque du diabète insulino-dépendant.

The relative risks (RR) of the immunogenetic markers of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) have been calculated in a population of 235 IDDM patients compared with a control population. The highest relative risk was that of subjects heterozygous DR3/DR4 (RR = 47, P less than 0.001) which was still more increased in those who carry this combination associated with the RFLP cluster DQR4 (RR = 72). Further, a sample of 51 secondary affected siblings of IDD index cases has been compared with 265 non affected siblings (one child of each family, excluding index cases). The highest risks have been found in addition to DR3/DR4, for DR3 alone and particularly for the combination C4BQ0, DR3 (RR = 9, p less than 0.001) suggesting a role for this peculiar association in the familial penetrance. In the group of siblings HLA-identical with the index case, only two factors showed some capacity of discriminating between affected and non affected siblings: HLA-DR3 and age (less than or equal to 10 years old at onset of IDDM in the index case) (p less than 0.01). In the group of haploidentical siblings, the combination DR3/DR4 and the associations C4BQ0, DR3 and BfF1, DR3 significantly increased the susceptibility for higher familial occurrence of the disease. If confirmed by additional family series, this scale of risk factors could be helpful in predicting risk of IDDM to siblings of diabetic children.

[Distortion of the maternal segregation of the silent alleles of complement factor 4 in normal and diabetic families]. / Distorsion de la ségrégation maternelle des allèles silencieux du facteur 4 du complément dans des familles normales et des familles diabétiques.

54 normal Caucasian families and 169 families in whom at least one child had type I diabetes (IDDM) were genotyped for HLA-A, B, C, DR and for the complement factors Bf and C4. The paternal and maternal transmission of the different alleles and of haplotypes and complotypes in linkage desequilibrium have been analysed. No distortion of the paternal transmission has been observed in the offspring of the two series of families. On the contrary, a distortion of the maternal segregation of the silent alleles at the complement factor C4A and B locus was found: mothers transmitted C4AQ0 more often than expected to their male offspring (p less than 0.04 in normal families, p less than 0.001 in IDDM families) while they transmitted C4BQ0 in excess to their female offspring (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.03 in normal and IDDM families, respectively).

Long-term complete autologous reconstitution following cyclophosphamide and allogeneic marrow infusion in a case of severe aplastic anemia.

A 23 year old man with severe idiopathic aplasia, who had previously been unsuccessfully treated with oxymetholone for a period of 6 months, received two intravenous (IV) infusions of bone marrow cells from his HLA identical brother. He was given 200 mg/kg anti-lymphocyte globulins (ALG) IV, followed by a first infusion of 13 X 10(9) nucleated cells IV, but no improvement was observed. Three months later, he was treated with cyclophosphamide (25 mg/kg over 4 days) followed by a second infusion of 18 X 10(9) nucleated cells IV of the same donor. Within a four month period there was evidence of complete marrow reconstitution, and the patient has experienced no relapse of the disease during the subsequent 13 years follow up period. The mechanism of the recovery is unclear: no evidence of graft acceptance could be established. The respective roles of ALG, cyclophosphamide and/or bone marrow infusions are discussed.

HLA antigens and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis.

HLA antigens and clinical features in a series of 46 Caucasian patients (40 females, 6 males) and definite repeatedly seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of more than two years' duration (mean 11.6 years) were compared with those in 77 seropositive RA patients and 110 controls of the same ethnic and geographic origin. Seronegative RA appeared to be less often erosive than seropositive RA, and seronegative patients had fewer extra-articular features. The frequency of the HLA antigen DR1 was raised in seronegative patients as compared with controls (p = 0.006, relative risk = 3) and with seropositive patients (p less than 0.05). HLA-DR4 was slightly increased in seronegative patients compared with controls (p less than 0.05) but was clearly less so than in seropositive patients (p less than 0.005). Early onset of disease was very significantly associated with HLA-DR1 in seronegative patients (p = 0.007), whereas HLA-DR4 was present more frequently in seropositive patients with onset prior to age 35 (p less than 0.05). No correlation between HLA antigens and intolerance to drugs was found in seronegative patients, whereas in seropositive patients side effects to gold salts were associated with DR3. These results suggest that seropositive and seronegative RA have distinct HLA-DR associations, especially in disease of early onset, in addition to well established clinical differences.

HLA-A, -B and -C specificities in a sample of the Nile Delta population, Egypt.

HLA-A, -B and -C specificities were determined in 100 Egyptians living and originating from the region of the Nile Delta. The pattern of antigen frequencies were similar to those of Berber populations living in North Africa with some exceptions compatible with the Semitic contribution to the Egyptian population.

Genetic polymorphism of the fourth component of complement and type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes.

The complement proteins, Bf, C2, C4A and C4B, are closely linked to HLA. In 74 propositi and their families, and 97 controls genotyped for HLA-A, -B, -C, DR, -Bf, a high incidence of the C4BQ0 variant was detected in the patient group (33% versus 12%, p less than 0.00001); C4BQ0 was more frequent in propositi than in non-affected siblings (40 out of 74 versus 36 out of 92, p less than 0.05). When comparing the distribution of the phenotype C4BQ0 in Type 1 diabetic patients and normal control subjects, the difference was significant in patients bearing DR3 or DR4 (56% and 25%, respectively, p less than 0.003). The main linkage disequilibria were observed among the 74 propositi: B18, BfF1, C4, A3, BQ0, DR3; B12, BfS, C4, A3, BQ0, DR4. The existence of a silent allele at the C4 B locus is known to be associated with a defective immune response.