Association of HLA antigens with glucose intolerance following renal transplantation

Records of 109 renal transplant patients were reviewed to test the hypothesis that post transplant glucose intolerance would be associated with "diabetic", HLA antigens (HLA--B8, B18, Bw15 and Bw16). Of 42 patients with significant glucose intolerance, 23 had one or more of these antigens (RR=2.65, P=0.01). These findings suggest that stress or drug treatment associated with renal transplantation can induce glucose intolerance in patients with a "diabetic" gene associated with the HLA--B locus.