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Mimura T, Relationship between HLA and retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes
haplotype frequency was significantly higher in the PDR group (16.7%) than in the
control group (0%) and the non-DR group (0%) (P = .0059, Table 4).
DISCUSSION
The HLA types associated with Type 1 diabetes in this study were broadly consistent
with those found in other studies.
6
HLA-DR and DQ were confirmed to show an
association with Type 1 diabetes.
16-19
The frequency of HLA-B62, -Cw4, and -DQ4 was significantly higher in the PDR
group than in the non-DR group. Since these HLA types are different from those
related to the onset of Type 1 diabetes, HLA status may play an important role in the
development and progression of PDR as well as hyperglycemia. It seems that HLA
B62, Cw4, and DQ4 are associated with the development and progression of PDR in
patients with younger-onset Type 1 diabetes.
HLA-DR4 was reported to be strongly associated with Type 1 diabetes
4
; it was
detected in 53.3 % of our PDR group, but this was not significantly different from the
frequency in the control group. Therefore, DR4 may be related to the onset of Type 1
diabetes, but not to the development of retinopathy.
Among the Japanese population, DQ4 is known to be strongly associated with Type
