Abstract
The sera of 69 parents and 9 siblings of 57 patients with diabetes mellitus of childhood and the controls matched for age and sex, were tested by the thyroglobulin and microsome-coated tanned red cell hemagglutination test (Fuji Zoki Co. Tokyo).
1) Diabetes mellitus in childhood (probands):
One of 79 children with diabetes mellitus (1.2%) had antithyroglobulin antibodies and fifteen (19%) had antimicrosomal antibodies compared with 0.4% and 1.1% respectively in 437 disease controls.
2) Parents of probands:
The incidence of antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal antibodies was 5.8% and 20.2% respectively.
Four of 53 mothers (7.5%) had antithyroglobulin antibodies and thirteen (24.5%) had antimicrosomal antibodies compared with 3.1% and 4.1% respectively in 538 women controls (30-49 years).
One of 16 fathers showed a positive result with antimicrosomal antibodies.
3) iblings of probands:
One of the siblings had antimicrosomal antibodies.
4) Parents and siblings of probands having positive thyroid antibodies:
Five of them (41.6%) had antimicrosomal antibodies.
5) Parents and siblings of probands with negative thyroid antibodies:
The incidence of antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal antibodies was 4.5% and 15.1% respective y.
These findings suggest that immunogenetic factors may be responsible for some cases of diabetes mellitus in childhood.
