Genetic Polymorphism of C4 in Japanese Patients with Insulindependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM)

Abstract

Recently, a particular allele of C4 (C4So) was reported to be associated with IDDM in Basques. However, since this association could be due to differences in ethnic background, we examined the C4 polymorphism in Japanese patients with IDDM using high voltage agarose gel electrophoresis and immunofixation.This investigation was important not only to clarify the differences among ethnic groups, but also to understand the pathogenesis of IDDM, since C4 is linked to the HLA-B or D/R locus and plays an important role in inflammation and neutralization of viruses.The present data revealed no association between IDDM and the C4So allele.The findings suggest that a C4 independent mechanism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of IDDM.