HLA Antigens and Immunoresponsiveness to Insulin in Insulin‐Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract
HL-A-A and HL-A-B antigens were determined in 112 patients with insulin-dependent juvenile onset diabetes mellitus, who could be subdivided into non- and high responders to insulin. There apparently was an association of these diabetes subgroups with only 1 of the diabetes-associated antigens, HL-A-B8 and HL-A-BW15. There probably are at least 2 different genetic constellations for susceptibility to juvenile diabetes mellitus. One form with a strong immune-response to insulin seemed to be associated with HL-A-BW 15, and the other form without humoral immunoreactivity to insulin seemed to be associated with the presence of HL-A-B8 and the absence of HL-A-B7.