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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes
Published on: March 24, 2015
Classification and characteristics of interferon-related diabetes mellitus in Japan
Kazuhisa Muraishi1, Yuko Sasaki, Tomoko Kato
1Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine Inada Naika Clinic, Kurume, Japan.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to assess the classification and clinical characteristics of interferon (IFN)-related diabetes.
Methods:
Cases with IFN-related diabetes in Japan were retrieved through web search engines for medical literature until July in 2009, and unreported data were obtained from the authors by letter or e-mail.
Results:
We collected 143 cases with IFN-related diabetes consisting of 104 type 1 diabetes including 4 own cases, and 39 non-autoimmune type 2-like diabetes. We found a marked increase in IFN-related type 1 diabetes for these 3 years. In contrast, no increase was observed in IFN-related type 2-like diabetes in the literature. Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-IFN and ribavirin had been more frequently used in patients with type 1 diabetes than in patients with type 2-like diabetes. The age of diabetes onset was comparable between type 1 and type 2-like diabetes, while the ratio of male patients was higher and the latency before diabetes was shorter in type 2-like diabetes. Patients with IFN-related type 1 diabetes had HLA types susceptible to Japanese type 1 diabetic patients, and a high positive rate of GAD antibodies.
Conclusion:
Potent combination therapy with PEG-IFN and ribavirin is likely associated with the increase in IFN-related type 1 diabetes. The combined measurement of GAD antibody and HLA-typing could be an effective strategy to predict the onset of type 1 diabetes associated with IFN therapy.
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