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Updated: Sep 30, 2026

Extraction of Tissue Antigens for Functional Assays
Published on: September 10, 2012
Human leucocyte antigen and insulin gene regions and nephropathy in type I diabetes
T A Chowdhury1, P H Dyer, C H Mijovic
1Department of Medicine, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, UK.
Aims/Hypothesis:
Diabetic nephropathy seems to have a strong genetic component. Genes involved in the genetic susceptibility to Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes have been suggested to have a role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. This study aimed to examine the role of human leucocyte antigen and insulin genes in susceptibility to nephropathy in patients with Type I diabetes.
Methods:
We carried out a genetic association study examining insulin gene polymorphisms using three large cohorts of patients with Type I diabetes: nephropathy (n = 258), long duration non-nephropathy (n = 153) and a recently diagnosed (sporadic) diabetic cohort (n = 264). Human leucocyte antigen typing results were obtained in a smaller number due to assay failures (n = 182, 126 and 200 respectively).
Results:
No significant difference was seen in the distribution of human leucocyte antigen A, B, C, DR, DQA1 and DQB1 haplotypes and alleles between the three diabetic cohorts. No significant difference was seen in insulin '+' and '-' genotypes and alleles between the three diabetic cohorts.
Conclusions/Interpretation:
Human leucocyte antigen and insulin gene loci are unlikely to have a major role in the susceptibility to nephropathy in Caucasian patients with Type I diabetes in the United Kingdom.
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Type I Diabetes I: Introduction
Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
Type I Diabetes III: Clinical Manifestations
Type II Diabetes I: Introduction
Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
Diabetic Nephropathy

