Influence of HLA types on carbohydrate effects of a low-estrogen oral contraceptive

The lymphocyte HLA types were determined for 13 women, who were then separated into a subgroup of those having a "high" risk for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (B8, B15, AW30) and a "low-risk" subgroup (B7, BW35). A 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test was conducted on each woman before starting on oral contraceptives (OC) and then 6 months after using them. Both blood glucose and plasma insulin levels were measured. The OC contained 0.035 mg of ethinylestradiol and 0.4 mg of norethindrone. There was a significantly higher 0.5-hour glucose value in the control test in the "high risk" group. There was a significant elevation of the 1-hour plasma insulin value in the 6-month test for the "high-risk" group. The usefulness of the HLA prescreening of women prior to use of OC needs more study.