[HLA-antigens in thyrotoxic patients with overt diabetes mellitus]

The incidence of thyrotoxicosis accompanied by overt diabetes has been reported to be 2 to 3%. Several workers have suggested the possible role of immunological and inherited factors in the occurrence of thyrotoxic patients with overt diabetes. We investigated, therefore, the clinical characteristics, backgrounds, and HLA antigens in thyrotoxic patients with overt diabetes. In nine thyrotoxic patients with overt diabetes (group DM) (3 men and 6 females, average age of 45.8 +/- 2.9 yr), mean levels of free-triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) were 8.2 +/- 0.8 pg/ml and 4.9 +/- 0.4 ng/dl, respectively. Although these levels were extremely high, they were significantly lower than those levels in forty thyrotoxic patients without overt diabetes (group ND) (8 men and 32 females, average age 35.1 +/- 4.5 yr). Mean levels of both thyrotrophin receptor-antibody (TR-Ab) and thyroid simulating antibody (TS-Ab) in group DM were relatively lower than those in group ND. Mean titers of both antithyroid antibody (TGHA) and antimicrosomal antibody (MCHA) in group DM were also relatively lower than those in group ND, respectively. Regarding the clinical features in thyrotoxic patients with overt diabetes, mean duration of diabetes mellitus was 4.1 +/- 2.5 years with mean levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1c, and serum fructosamine 208.1 +/- 34.0 mg/dl, 10.6 +/- 0.6%, and 3.9 +/- 0.9 mmol/L, respectively. Seven patients in group DM frequently had ketosis or ketoacidosis in their histories, and they had been treated with insulin injection. However, the diabetic complications in group DM were moderate or severe.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)